One Shots
by julia12084
Summary: Collection of one-shots that go with my main story. Requests welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, first chapter is a 20's AU! I tried to get it to seem like Great Gatsby type of scene, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **…**

The world was a wild place after the Great War ended. People were happy to be alive, the euphoria of life spread all through America. No more rationing, no more waving loved ones goodbye to go die in the trenches. Although there was the prohibition, alcohol was cheaper and easier to get.

And nowhere was the jazz age more prominent than in New York City.

The city never slept, never rested. A party on every corner every night, the lights shining brighter than the stars. It was especially great for the soldiers returning home, the carefree ways relaxing after the stress of the battle overseas.

This was true for two soldiers who just returned to the city, ready to live life again. They had been best friends for years, before the war, during, and to everyone's surprise, after. They hadn't been expected to survive at all, but against all odds, they did. Now, they were ready to go back out into the world.

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers walked side by side through the bustling streets. Couples rushed past them, music could be heard from behind every door, cars filled to the brim screeched past, people cheering and laughing.

"You sure your sister doesn't know where we're goin'?" Bucky asked, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Told her that we were going to your place." Steve told him.

"Gotcha."

Truly, Bucky wished she would come with them, but he wasn't sure if she would approve of where they were heading. A party down the road with illegal drinking and dancing, it wasn't really her scene. She had always been such a good person, waiting for them to come home. He had never even seen her pick up a drink.

Bucky had been sweet on her for some time now but never mustered up the courage to tell her. He had known her for so long, he didn't want to ruin what they had. Bucky had come close to telling her once, before he and Steve shipped off, but the words died on his lips. He simply couldn't do it.

Bucky figured he would have a few drinks and forget about the girl waiting.

They could hear the party before they saw it. The swinging jazz music was slightly muffled behind a heavy door, bursting in perfect clarity when Steve pushed it open. It was a flood of lights, sounds, and colors. It took both men back a moment as they took it all in, from the band playing on the stage to the men clutching drinks to their chests. A pain of women stalked past them, one of them trailing an arm flirtatiously across Bucky's arm, a feather boa following behind the girl.

Bucky loved the messiness of it all, all of the sights and sounds working together like a symphony. Bucky and Steve walked further into the hall, being nearly swallowed by the crowd. Bucky looked up, eyes growing wide at what he saw.

It was Steve's sister, Ella, unlike he had ever seen her before. He was used to seeing her in drab, conservative clothing, but now she wore a party dress. She was standing up on the table, bouncing to the beat of the swinging trumpet. She held the hand of a man while also holding a delicate class of illegal alcohol. Her lips were red and spread into a smile, bob of golden hair curled along her cheekbone. Her headband had an elaborate feather attached to it, swaying wildly. The fringe of her dress danced around her stalking-clad thighs, making him raise a brow. He had never seen her in anything over the knee.

"I gonna get something to drink!" Steve said.

"Alright." Bucky said back, not taking his eyes off of Ella. He waited until he was gone before heading towards her, wondering what reason she had for doing this. He thought she would be at home.

Bucky shoved the man holding her hand to the side, ignoring his cry of protest as he wrapped a hand around Ella's wrist and tugged lightly.

The girl looked down, lips parting slightly at the sight. Bucky expected her to be shocked or surprised, but instead found that her look of shock melted into a huge grin.

"Bucky!" she breathed, stepping down from the table onto the floor and hugging him. "What are you doing here?"

He could tell she had been drinking due to her voice, how it was an excitable murmur and her words seemed to flow together without a pause or break.

"I should be asking you the same thing." He said, trying to ignore how she hung onto his arm, leaning her shoulder against her own. He liked her being that close.

"It's just a party!" Ella said with a grin. "I wanted to have some fun!"

"With alcohol?"

"This?" Ella said, holding up her glass. "This is just some giggle water."

"Steve doesn't know you're here."

This seemed to get more of a reaction out of her, face falling. "He's here?"

Bucky nodded, motioning towards the right. "Yeah and he's coming this way."

Ella gasped slightly, shoving her drink into the hands of the person nearest to her and dragging Bucking into the dancing crowd, weaving through dancing limbs with surprising agility.

"He can't know I'm here!" she hissed. "Well, he'd never approve." She paused, making a face. "Wait… he said he was going to your place! Oh, he's in for an earful."

Bucky chuckled at her reaction, still feeling the warmth of her hands through his shirt. "You come here often?"

"A couple times." She said almost breathlessly.

"Didn't think this was you scene…" Bucky said with a hint of irritation, still not knowing why she would keep this part of her life from them. She was like an entirely new person.

"Well, you two didn't get home until a month after the war ended." Ella explained. "The world was celebrating and I wanted to join in… it's fun!"

"Why didn't you tell Steve?"

"Like he would approve of me dancing the night away with illegal booze and men?" she laughed.

Little did she know that those things irked Bucky more than it would to Steve. How many men had been with her when he was gone? Had she found another man in his absence, one that she really did fancy? He knew it was a possibility when he left when she wouldn't have him watching over her. He wished he would just say something.

Ella stopped walking, tilting her head to the side as the tune changed, face breaking out into a grin. "I love this some! Come dance with me!"

Bucky felt her tug on his arm, a silent plead to follow her. He was going to refuse at first, but then saw her wide eyes, how much she truly wanted him to go with her. How could he saw no to that? With a slight sigh, he relented, following her into the crazed crowd.

Bucky didn't know what to expect from Ella, not having seen her dance before. She brought him into the exact middle of the crowd before stopping, wasting no time before beginning.

Instantly, Bucky was amazed by how she moved. Her feet slid gracefully, knees bending to the beat of the music and hands out to her sides. The black fringe of her dress swayed as her hips did, catching his eye. She spun and smiled, the grin being contagious as Bucky found one creeping onto his lips. He took one of her hands and spun her, surprised at how much she seemed to resemble a top. She let her eyes linger on him to ensure she wouldn't get dizzy and stumble. Even over the music, he could hear her laughter bubble.

She slowed to a stop, taking a small step forward and placing her hands on his shoulder, resting her head on his chest. His hands instinctively went to the small of her back, pressing her closer. The feather from her headband brushed against his check.

"I missed you." She said after a moment.

"I missed you too." Bucky said automatically.

Ella peeked up at him through her mascara-coated lashes. "You couldn't even imagine what it was like, seeing the families around us losing their sons, husbands and brothers…" she pursed her lips as she thought about the time she spent apart from them. "All I could do is try not to think about what you two were doing, how you could get hurt, how I felt about yo-" Ella cut herself off with a sharp gasp, looking down with her cheeks flaming. She hadn't meant to let that slip. "I- I mean-"

Bucky swooped forward and pressed his lips against hers hard, only staying a moment before pulling back and gauging her reaction. Her eyes were wide and surprised, Bucky instantly second guessing himself. Perhaps she hadn't meant what she said, maybe he heard him wrong. He could have just ruined years of friendship in a single mistake. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."

Bucky quickly turned his head away, unable to look her in the eyes. However, Ella's hand shot out and firmly turned him back to face her, standing on her toes, tossing her arms around his neck and kissing him. It took Bucky only a heartbeat to respond, eyes fluttering shut and placing his hand on the nape of her neck. He never would have thought he would ever feel her lips move against his, feel her breath on his skin, have her hold him in a way that wasn't just platonic.

"Bucky, what are you-?" Steve started as he spotted his friend before ending abruptly.

Ella and Bucky parted, both looking at Steve with raised brows. The three simply stared at each other for a few moment longer before Ella let go of Bucky, stepping forward.

"Is that gin?" she asked her brother with feigned disapproval.

Steve spluttered instead of answering, looking down at the two glasses in his hands. Was that really Ella asking him that after he caught her at a party locking-lips with his best friend? His mind struggled to catch up with the situation.

"You know that's illegal!" she scolded, grabbing both glasses and handing one to Bucky before taking a sip out of hers.

Bucky laughed at his friend's bewildered expression, wrapping an arm around Ella and pressing a kiss to her forehead. She contently leaned into his side, snickering at her brother.

Bucky couldn't help but think that this night went far better than expected.

 **A/N:**

 **Don't be afraid to send in requests! AUs or anything** **J** **)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Requested story where James and Pietro meet.**

 **Also, just so everyone knows, none of these stories really go with my main one, they're all going to be AU in one way or another.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **…**

James had finally taken the crucial first step towards where he had to go.

It had taken him over half an hour of debating and pacing along the tree line before he finally started towards where he knew the compound was. Where he knew Ella was.

He had finally worked up the nerve to go and find her, to apologize for what he did to her. it had been weighing on his mind for too long now. Even if she couldn't find it in her heart to forgive him, (Which he would understand), he just wanted to explain that he remembered her. Yes, the memories were a bit hazy, but he had them.

He tried to swallow his nervousness as she came upon the clearing of trees where the Avengers compound sat proudly. There was no one out around the perimeters at the moment, or so he thought at least. The second he stepped foot into the open, a blue blur came at him, knocking the wind out of his lungs as it threw him on his back.

James blinked once, not used to being caught off guard like that. Perhaps he was going soft, but when he saw who it was, he knew he really wasn't.

It was the enhanced man, the one with white hair he had seen in the news multiple times and pictured alongside Ella in the tabloids. He knew he couldn't really beat him, not with his speed.

"Located the intruder." The man, Pietro, spoke into his com, raising a brow at James. "What are you doing sneaking into the Avengers compound?"

James grit his teeth and said nothing. He heard his arm whirl as he clenched his left fist, hoping this wouldn't end in a fight. He knew he was a wanted man, he didn't know which Avenger would come through these doors and how they would feel about him.

"Do I know you?" Pietro asked upon closer inspection of his face. There was something vaguely familiar… it was right on the tip on his tongue-

"Pietro!" a voice called out sharply from behind him. "You know you can't just run out like that without help."

In Pietro's momentary distraction, James sprung off the ground to make a run for it. He knew he shouldn't have come. However, before he could take a single step, there was the distinctive click from a gun.

"Put your hands up and turn around."

That voice. James knew it, causing him to cringe slightly. Not exactly the entrance he wanted to make. He turned slowly towards the voice, hands raised in defense. The rim of his hat covered his face, so he tilted his head up, looking at the person who held the gun pointed at him.

Ella's face melted from one of hard concentration to one of complete and utter shock as she saw James standing before her. Her lips parted as her eyes grew wide, lowering the gun with shaking hands before the weapon dropping from her trembling fingers.

"James?" she said in a hushed voice as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

He found that words wouldn't come to him, simply staring at the girl. She wore a dark uniform, looking unlike he had ever seen her. She looked strong, able to protect herself like he knew she could.

"I- I…" Ella couldn't do anything but gape. He was right here, but there was nothing that she could do. It had been so long, she still blamed herself for lying to him, for keeping things from him. What could she say?

Bucky took a single step forward, but was halted when Pietro placed a firm hand on his chest, eyes narrowed as he put himself between James and Ella, body language protective.

"Not another step." He ground out, raising a fist.

"No!" Ella cried. "Pietro, don't hurt him." She rushed behind him and pinned his arm down to the side.

"You know him?" he asked.

Ella swallowed hard. "Yes."

Bucky could see the pain in the blue of her eyes as she looked at his face. She stepped in front of Pietro, but the man still kept a grip on her upper arm in case he needed to whisk her out of danger. In a way, it made James angry to know they were that close, that in his absence, another man had done what he should have.

"Ella." James said, voice slightly rasping.

She hadn't heard him say her name in so long. There was something so personal about it. She committed the sound to memory.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out. "I'm so sorry. I never should have kept things from you and I hope you can-"

James stepped forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her head, effectively stopping her speech. She was stunned to say the least, even more so when her drew her into his chest, resting his chin on the top of her golden head.

"I remember." He said simply. "I remember you and I never should have left I never should have…" the words _hurt you_ died on his lips.

He felt her arms squeeze around his torso, bringing him great comfort.

Pietro scratched the back of his neck as he put all the pieces together. "Should I go?"

James looked up, giving a single nod. "Yes."

He felt Ella chucked lightly against his shirt, causing him to hold her tighter.

God, was he lucky.


	3. Chapter 3

**Another AU that was requested. Princess and guard. Longer than my last two, hope you all like it. And yes, two in one day because I went on a spree.**

 **…**

 _Today was the day._

Bucky willed himself to remain composed as he stood straight and tall in the sunlight besides his best friend. He knew that this day was following something somber, but he couldn't help the bubble of excitement that grew in his chest as he saw the dust cloud on the horizon slowly inch closer to the gates.

He looked to his left at Steve, face stoic and jaw clenched. There was still a bit of sadness in his eyes, of course there would be. Maybe the arrival of his sister would help him.

Ella had left the kingdom two years ago. Or really, as he stood be addressing her, Princess Ella. It was respectful after all.

Bucky had grown up beside the royal siblings, his own father being the late king's closest and most trusted advisor. The position came with perks such as land and the ability to get a respectful job, like he had now. Being part of the king's guard was a highly coveted position and he was lucky enough to be a part of it… now he would have to protect his best friend.

They had been friends for as long as he could remember. When Bucky was young, he didn't understand how unique his position was, but now he knew he was probably the only person besides their parents who had seen the prince and the princess as they truly were.

Bucky thought about the days he spent as a child running amok with the siblings through the spacious stone halls of the palace. It had all been great fun, trying to tease Steve during times where he knew the prince had to put on his façade, just to see if he could manage to make him crack a smile. Ella was always better than her brother at keeping a straight face, so when he managed to make her crack a smile, it was like gold.

It was amazing to watch the girl grow up, to see her blossom from a little girl who played just as rough as the two boys into a beautiful woman.

However, when she turned sixteen, the late king and queen decided it was high time for her to stop hanging around her brother and Bucky and go out and further her education, learn how to be a better ruler one day. She had been torn up, more upset than Bucky had ever seen her.

At first, Bucky hadn't known what happened, only remember hearing the click of her heels and the sounds of her skirts as she rushed past him, probably not even seeing him because of the tears that ran down her pink cheeks.

Bucky had done something bold that night, climbing up the vines that crawled up to her window to her room where she had locked herself. He had knocked on the thin glass, remembering how puffy her eyes were still when she opened it.

Bucky knew that if he was caught in her room, there would be major consequences for both him and his father. Still, he risked it for her.

He had sat down on the edge of her bed, on top of the silky sheets, listening to her as she spoke about her parents in a way he knew she would never say to anyone else in the world. In the end, Bucky had done something even bolder and kissed her. She hadn't shied away, in fact, she had kissed him back. That was as far as it went, Bucky scrambling out of her room when he heard some of her ladies knocking on her door.

Bucky could still remember the barely hidden emotions on her face as the marched from the castle to the carriage waiting to take her away. She had her nose pointed to the sky, holding herself proudly so that the people around her couldn't see how the truly felt. She had curtsied to her father and mother, the only way Bucky could tell she was angry was how tight she held her shoulders. He could also see how bad Steve wished to embrace his sister, but the protocol forbid it. Ella didn't glance his way until the carriage doors were closed, Bucky only catching a glimpse of her frightened eyes until the carriage had jolted to a start as she was gone.

Less than a month ago, the king succumbed to a fever, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his son. Now, Ella was to return to the kingdom for Steve coronation and her father's funeral.

Two years. Bucky wondered how she looked, if she was much different. He was sure she would have some stories, being gone that long and seeing all the different lands. Although she was so against leaving, seeing the world couldn't have been so bad. Bucky had barely left the kingdom.

Bucky could hear the horses now, shifting in excitement. They had never followed up on the kiss, he wondered if she would still want to. He shook himself out of his thoughts as the carriage came to a stop, hearing the excited murmurs of the crowd, hardly being able to wait for the return of their beloved princess.

The carriage doors opened, James finding himself leaning forward in anticipation.

The first thing he saw was her skirts, the finest silks of the purest blue. A guard held out his arm, Bucky seeing a dainty hand peek out and wrap around it. Ella stepped out of the carriage with the most poise and grace he had ever seen in a person. She looked beautiful to say the least, fair skin glowing, hair cascading down her back in golden waves. Her dress was of a design not from this kingdom. The neckline was low cut, showing that she indeed was a woman. There were no sleeves, thicker straps wrapping around the back of her neck.

Bucky saw the look on her face as she walked. Perfectly composed, smiling politely at her subjects who cheered at her arrival. Her posture was perfect, her steps fluid and practiced. Bucky could tell she had been practicing. Bucky watched as she lowered down to accept a flower from a young girl, who blushed.

Bucky wished she would look at him. However, she came up to her brother and curtsied low. Steve gave a small nod, his sister standing up straight and proud, turning to her subjects and giving a practiced wave to the crowd before turning back to go inside the palace. Her group of ladies followed behind her, and Bucky behind them, waiting for the opportunity to speak with her again.

...

Steve led his sister to a room to speak with her privately about her travels and what was next for them. Bucky was stationed just outside the doors.

The moment they were alone, Steve embraced his sister, who hugged him back just as tightly. During her travels and educations, they told her to only be open around her family and now, all that was left of her family was her brother.

"It's been too long." Steve said.

"I know." Ella replied, feeling her eyes moisten at the reunion. "Two whole years…"

"You've grown."

"Perhaps a bit." She said before her expression grew a touch sad. "I can't believe he's gone. It was so sudden…"

"Not really." Steve told her. "He was sick for so long… he went peacefully at least."

"I see." Ella said, looking down. She had been gone so long, she didn't even know her father was sick. It was so difficult to get news while she was traveling.

Bucky was only able to catch snippets of conversation from outside the door before he scolded himself for eavesdropping. It wasn't his business, their father had recently died. They deserved some privacy. It only took a bit more than fifteen minutes before the door cracked open and Ella stepped out. Bucky wasted no time before giving a small bow.

"Your highness," he greeted.

"It is wonderful to see you again, James." She spoke. They had worked on her diction, her words flowing in a medley in a way that was pleasant to listen to… the only thing that confused him was that she called him James. Bucky wasn't his given name, simply a nickname… but Ella had never addressed him as such.

"May I ask where you are headed?"

"My rooms."

"Allow me to escort you."

"Thank you."

The entire trip, she still had the same blank expression on her face. Still, he knew her and even after two years, he could tell there was something on her mind.

"The kingdom had missed you." Bucky remarked.

"And I have missed it."

He wondered if she missed him.

"How were your travels?"

"Quite well."

Bucky wished the conversation wasn't so strained. He wanted to smile and laugh with her like they used to. He wanted to hear everything, from the things she loved to the things she hated. He wanted her to fill the room with her words, with her voice.

They came to her hall, slowing to a stop. Bucky decided to take a risk.

"Ella," he breathed, taking her hand within his own. "I've truly missed you."

"James…" she said, looking down at their intertwined hands. Her tone was warning. "We can't-"

"I know I'm not royalty, but I have land and a title-"

"James, I am to be married."

Bucky felt his heart stop. "Married?"

Ella bobbed her head, eyes filled with sadness. "Steve just told me. I am to marry into another kingdom, for an alliance… an army if needed."

Bucky couldn't believe what he was hearing. He could see Ella fighting with herself, she wanted to show how upset she was, but she was struggling to keep it hidden. Her hand slipped out of his, the feeling of her soft skin lingering on his.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, turning her back to him and storming into her room.

Bucky stood shocked for a moment before turning heel and swiftly heading through the dimly lit halls to where he knew Steve would be. He burst into his friend's study, not even bothering to knock.

"Marriage?" he asked, seeing his friend look up from papers on his desk. "She only just got back."

Steve sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't my first choice, Buck." He said. "The council thought it was the smart thing to do, after my father's death. If another nation thinks that our kingdom is weak, they will attack. We need alliances."

"You can't just marry her off to a man she has never met."

"She will." Steve said. "He'll be attending the coronation."

"She doesn't want to get married." Bucky said.

"And I wish she didn't have to." Steve told him. "But, she's a princess. It's a responsibility."

Bucky couldn't find anything else to say. What could he tell him? That he cared for his sister, the princess and soon to be queen of a different realm? He couldn't utter those words.

"He'll be here tomorrow." Steve told him. "Her… fiancée."

Bucky hated this. She had just gotten back from a two year journey she was forced to take and now Steve was going to set up a marriage she didn't want. It just wasn't fair to her. She was young and beautiful and had so much more life to live. Yet, there was nothing Bucky could do about this situation. He didn't have the authority.

…

Bucky tried to ignore how he felt the next day as he stood beside the two royal siblings as they awaited for the arrival of Ella's fiancée. She wore a velvet gown, long and dark almost as if she was mourning. Her hair had been pinned up skillfully, a delicate tiara sitting on top of her head. Again, she wouldn't look his way.

When the other prince got out of his carriage, Bucky was surprised to say the least. In his head, he had made this other man out to be awful, perhaps old and ugly when in reality, he was a young man, tall and strong. He kissed her hand, Bucky trying his best to look away. He saw the crest of their kingdom, the maroon skull with the grotesque tentacles. He had heard things about the prince from that kingdom, that he was a strong warrior.

Rumlow.

He had a handful of years on Ella, but Bucky had seen larger differences before.

Their nations had been at war multiple times, but it seemed that Steve was attempting to make peace in whatever way he could.

Ella took Rumlow's arm as they went back into the palace for Steve coronation. Bucky trailed behind them, trying his best not to display the blatant irritation he felt now. However, he knew he had to focus on his task of being watchful over Steve… what he did best.

The whole coronation didn't last long, a simple ceremony where they placed a crown on Steve's head while Bucky stood to the side and kept a sharp eye on the crowd. His gaze constantly landed on Ella who stood next to the man who was soon going to take her away. He managed to meet her eye once before she tore herself away and peered to the ground.

After the ceremony was over, there was to be a feast. The hall was filled with people dressed in their finest. Steve chose that moment to announce the engagement. Ella tried to look pleased for the people in the room when in her gut, she was dreading it.

She sat beside Steve at a long table, laden with food and drink. Music played and people danced, but Ella's mind was louder than that. She could hardly pay attention as he brother and Rumlow spoke to each other cordgially, as if their two nations hadn't been at war half a year ago. She stared down at the swirling, dark wine in her glass, not really wanting to drink it. She had no thirst or appetite.

Someone tapped her shoulder. Ella looked around to see Bucky standing there with an outstretched hand.

"Care to dance, your majesty?"

Ella tried not to smile as she gave a small nod, taking his hand and standing from the table. She followed him to the middle of the hall into the heart of the many dancers. She placed a hand on his broad shoulder while his went to her waist.

"It's been so long since the last time we danced." Ella commented before looking down with a frown. "I suppose this will be the last time…"

Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat. "I suppose."

"I miss how it used to be." She continued. "Before they sent me away. Less was expected of me…"

"I miss those times as well."

Her eyes squeezed shut, a momentary display of how she truly felt at the moment. "I missed you so much, Bucky."

He relished hearing her say his nickname.

"I thought about you almost everyday." She explained. Her voice was filled with emotion, not the practiced monotony that she had been addressing him with. "And I thought that when I got back, we would be together again but…"

Bucky didn't know how to respond to that. Before he could think of something, Rumlow came and tapped his shoulder. Bucky instantly let go of Ella, stepping aside.

"I was wondering if you wished to go on a walk around the ground?" Rumlow asked.

"Of course," Ella said, nodding to Bucky. "Good evening."

Bucky's eyes trailed the pair as they made their way towards the doors that led to the gardens. His eyes narrowed as he observed Rumlow's body language, something he had been trained to do working with the guard. He knew there was something suspicious about the way he looked over his shoulder constantly. Bucky noted how his hand went to his belt, where a bright silver dagger sat.

Bucky felt his face drain of blood, fearing the worst and pushing through the crowd to get to them.

The night was clear and cool, the stars out with a sliver of a silver moon hanging in the sky. The garden was filled with lush greenery, flowers, and fountains. Ella didn't know what spurred on this walk, perhaps he was trying to make her comfortable. He said nothing at first, leading her behind a tall hedge before stopping.

"I'm sure you're quite against the wedding-"

"Nervous." Ella corrected him, even though she was actually against it. She couldn't tell him that.

"Well, don't worry." Rumlow said, Ella noting the narrowing of his eyes. "It won't happen."

Before she could ask what he meant by that, he came at her in a flash. One of his hands went over her mouth, the other, wrapping around the swooping column of her neck. Her pushed her up against a stone pillar, feeling her struggle as hard as she could. Rumlow just needed to hold on a bit longer, it would be a clean death for her.

Ella reached out and raked her nails across his face, hearing his curse and drop her. James could see them now, which meant he witnessed Rumlow as he hit Ella on the face in anger, hard enough to knock her off her feet, her tiara flying off her hair. Rumlow reached towards his belt and pulled out the dagger, drawing it back as his plans of a clean death went out the window. However, before he could do anything, a weight launched itself as him, the pair of them tumbling to the ground, Rumlow's knife falling from his hand and a different one being placed on his neck.

"Don't move." Bucky ordered in a dangerously low voice.

Rumlow brought his hands to the side of his head, knowing he was beat. "You may have stopped me," he said bitterly. "But there will never be peace between us. One day, someone will finished what I couldn't."

"Not while I'm here." Bucky pulled his fist back before punching the prince in the face, effectively knocking him out. Once he was certain that he was out cold, Bucky scrambled to Ella's side. Her skirts were fanned over the cool grass, shoulders hunched over and face hidden.

"Are you alright?"

Ella looked up, bottom lips trembling. There was a cut on her cheek from the strike, neck already red from his hands. "He- he tried to kill me." Her hands instinctively went to Bucky, clutching at his arms for comfort.

"You're okay." He assured her softly. "He can't hurt you."

He made soothing circles on her cheek with the pad of his thumb, leaning in close enough so their foreheads nearly touched. He wanted to be close to her, knowing how close he had come to losing her. Ella's hand covered his as she turned to him, meeting his eyes before leaning forward and kissing him hard. Neither of them could care how improper it looked, too caught up in one another after years apart.

"Don't leave again." He whispered against her lips.

"I won't," she said. "I'll stay with you."


	4. Chapter 4

**50's AU requested by a long time follower and loyal reviewer. Meant to be up for her birthday, but life got in the way. So, it's long to make up for it.**

 **Bucky's a private I, Ella hasn't been around for a while.**

 **…**

Bucky Barnes sat in his office, feet propped up on his cluttered desk, face covered by his dusty gray fedora, trying his best to catch up on the hours of sleep he had missed finishing his job. He had to follow some lady's husband around. Found out he was a cheating bastard. The usual.

As far as he knew, he had no other appointments so he was frankly bored. Nothing exciting to keep him occupied from his lazy thoughts, just the sound of his fan spinning on the ceiling.

So, he was surprised when he heard three sharp taps at his door.

Bucky tilted his hat off his eyes, raising a brow. He slid the fedora back over his slicked back hair, cracking his neck.

"Come in."

The dull door opened slowly, eyes starting down at the pointed red pumps, a pair of killer legs, full, black and white checkered skirt. Bucky felt the corners of his lips curling into a smirk as his gaze started further upwards. The woman still wore cat-eye sunglasses, hair covered by a colorful scarf. She slowly undid the tie, letting perfectly curled golden hair bounce onto her shoulders, a single strand getting caught in the corner of her bright red lips.

However, when the dark sunglasses came off, Bucky was left staring at a face he never thought he would see again. His lips parted in surprise as he took his feet off the desk, face masked in disbelief.

"Ella?"

The girl took a deep breath, face stony. "Hello, James."

It had been years since he had last see her. Two, maybe three at the most. She didn't look much different, perhaps her face had lost some of its young roundness. Her eyes were still as bright as he remembered, clear and blue as the sky.

Ella, Bucky, and her brother Steve had all been close when they were younger. They had spent years together, grown up side by side, no one could have broken them apart.

Well, that is until someone did.

Ella was nineteen years old, nearly twenty, loving being on her own, being nearly grown and having freedom to do as she pleased. She was a fun loving girl, Bucky remembered that. From how her face lit up as she grinned, how her nose would crinkle as she tossed her head back in a laugh. For a while, those flashes of memories were all he had to remember her by.

She was a pretty girl by all means, Bucky knew that, but he wasn't the only one.

She had gotten a boyfriend around that time. It was strange for both Bucky and her brother to see her with someone like that, because her boyfriend wasn't a model citizen at the very least. He would pick her up in his car and speed off dangerously down the road, leaving Bucky and Steve to glare in their wake. He was disrespectful to almost everyone, especially Bucky for reasons why he didn't understand himself at first.

Eventually, Bucky had realized he was jealous.

He was jealous that some douche was going with Ella, someone who deserved so much better than that… and he liked her. At first, Bucky thought it was simply because he was protective of her, like he normally was. Bucky soon figured out he was trying to keep Ella away from her terrible boyfriend because he wanted her for himself. He could never tell that to her. She was his best friend's sister, he couldn't put her in that position.

However, Bucky had no problem telling Ella her boyfriend was awful.

Ella wouldn't hear it. She denied every accusation, even if they were all true. She was young, she didn't see the truth.

It was the first and only fight that she and Bucky had gotten into. It was practically a screaming match in her living room, wild hand gestures, flaming cheeks, bodies shaking in anger in frustration. She claimed Bucky didn't know him like she did, that he was being over protective and unfair when he tried to tell her to dump him.

In the end, Ella had ended storming past him and slamming the door to her room, leaving Bucky in a painful silence standing in her living room. He just didn't want to see her get hurt, and if she stayed with that man, she would. He hoped that by the next day it would all blow over.

By the next day, Ella was gone.

Steve and came to his door in hysteria, asking if Ella was there. She wasn't in her room, all her stuff was gone. No note, not notice, no Ella. It was as if she disappeared into thin air.

They searched for days, dread growing with each passing minute when they couldn't find her. Eventually, they admitted they needed help and went to the police.

The detectives found her quickly. She had packed a bag and run off with her boyfriend. The only problem was, the detectives couldn't legally bring her back. She was an adult, she wasn't under their guardianship anymore. She was gone.

Steve was never the same after. He had called Ella, trying to coax her to return home where she belonged but she had refused, just as stubborn as ever. She said she wanted to take her life into her own hands, leaving behind the family she had left.

Steve threw himself into work, striving to become a detective like the ones who helped him locate his sister. Bucky went a slightly different direction, becoming a Private I. Both career choices had something in common; they helped them forget about the girl who left.

Who was standing right before him now, hands hidden in her skirts, lips drawn tight, waiting for him to say something.

As Bucky got his bearings together, he couldn't figure out whether he was thrilled, angry, or just simply confused. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a tone that encompassed all three of those emotions.

"Are you this blunt with all your clients?" she asked in a clipped tone.

Bucky's brows furrowed as he looked up at the girl as she approached his desks, sitting down in a chair across from him. "Client? What, did your horrible boyfriend finally run off?"

He couldn't ignore the flash of pain on her face that she couldn't manage to hide.

"It's Steve, James." She said. "He's missing."

Bucky sat up in a flash, the legs of his chair squeaking noisily against the marble floor. "What?!"

He and Steve, although they used to be closer than brothers, had drifted apart since Ella had left, both diving into their work which took them separate ways. Of course, they would keep in contact when they could, a phone call here and there. They didn't live next to each other anymore, Steve moving into a smaller apartment when he found himself living on his own.

"I just got into town and went to his apartment." She began to explain. "The lock was broken as it was a mess. There was no Steve, no nothing."

"He must have learned from you." Bucky said with a hint of bitterness.

Ella huffed in annoyance. "This isn't about me. This is about my brother."

Bucky found himself gritting his teeth. "Have you gone to the detectives? This is their job, not mine."

"Trust me, I have." Ella snapped. "They said they were doing everything they could but…"

"But what?"

"They never even came to the apartment to look for evidence." She told him. "I stayed there all night… but nothing."

"Who'd you talk to?"

"Sitwell, I think his name was."

Bucky narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his chin. "That doesn't make any sense, Sitwell works with Steve."

"That's not all." She said, opening her handbag and digging through the contents. In her outstretched, gloved hand there was a small pin. "I found this lodged into the wood on the table. I think it was knocked over in the struggle."

Bucky clenched his jaw as he looked at the small, metal pin, knowing exactly what it meant. He leaned back in his seat and dragged a hand down his face in exasperation.

"What?" Ella asked in a panic upon seeing his reaction. "What is it?"

"Gang symbol. Notorious one too," he mused. "Been terrorizing the streets for some time now."

She bit her lip. "What are they called?"

"HYDRA." He said as he swiftly stood, pulling his coat over his shoulders as me made towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked, swiveling in her seat.

"To find your brother. Seems disappearing runs in the family." He grumbled as he slammed the door behind him, trying his best to get the girl out of his head.

…

Bucky got through a day of searching with no results. He started at Steve's apartment, finding that Ella's word had been true and it was in disarray. All there was were a broken table, and a knife with some dried blood on it. He hoped it wasn't Steve's. He didn't find anything else that could help him there, going off on his own and combing the streets for any clues about where they were keeping his friend. He went to bed with more frustration than evidence.

He had awoken to more help than he expected.

There were sharp, rapid knocks on his door first thing in the morning. Bucky let out a groan as he peeled his eyes open, wondering who the hell would be looking for him at the crack of dawn. He dragged himself out of bed, moving like a slug towards the door.

"What?" he asked irritably, before he noticed who stood there.

Ella wore a smart blazer and skirt, enough to keep her warm on this brisk day. Her blonde hair was tucked in a black hat on the back of her head. She sculpted brow at his tone.

"Good morning to you too."

Bucky sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you found anything?"

"No," Bucky said, crossing his arms over his chest. He felt almost embarrassed at his appearance at the moment, hair sticking up wearing nothing but his white, wife-beater and stripped boxers. How was it that Ella always looked so put together? He guessed some things really never changed.

"Oh," she said, looking down. "Well, I think I did."

"Really?"

She narrowed her eyes at his patronizing tone. " _Yes._ I followed the detective I spoke to, Sitwell, last night. He had a cut on his hand, clean. It must have been that knife in Steve's apartment."

"That's not enough evidence to go on."

"But he was talking to someone on the phone in his office." She said. "Sitwell said something about a prisoner."

"He could have been talking about someone in jail."

Ella sighed, her bottom lip jutting out slightly. "Shouldn't we be following any lead? My brother's gone, I need help finding him."

"Why don't you get your boyfriend to help?"

There it was again, that flash of pain across her face. She looked down at her shoes before mumbling, "We're not together anymore."

This was news to him. "Since when?"

Ella shook her head. "This isn't what we should be worrying about!" she said, nearly whining. "My brothers missing and I'm going to find him with or without your help!"

She swiftly turned heel, marching down the hall until Bucky couldn't see her anymore. He rubbed under his eyes and pressed his forehead against the doorframe. Ella was going off on her own to find a dangerous gang that's keeping her brother captive.

She was going to get herself killed.

Bucky hurried around his apartment, pulling on trousers, stepping into shoes, and popping his hat on his head at an angle before rushing out of the door, grabbing his coat on the way out.

He managed to catch up with her on the streets, jogging lightly to her side before calling out her name.

"Ella, wait!"

She stopped, turning around and seeing Bucky coming up behind her, still tugging his dusty grey coat over his shoulders. He slowed to a stop beside her.

"You can't go off on your own like that."

He didn't realize that he had said those words after she had left. He played off the rush of emotion as he looked at her face, thinking that he had missed two whole years of her life after he had been a part of every aspect of it before. There was so much he didn't know about her, even that she had left that wet rag she had been dating.

Ella looked a bit surprised. "I didn't think you would come."

Bucky shrugged. "You were right. We need to find Steve."

He couldn't read what emotions were displayed on her lovely face.

"Well then," she said, straightening her blazer. "Let's get to work then."

…

They went down to the police station where Steve had worked with the other detective. Bucky could fondly remember how hard he had worked to get that spot. There had been people who didn't believe Steve could do it, he had been a late grower. Still, he managed to work his way to the top.

Just as Ella had suggested, they went to find Sitwell, which wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. Ella ended up having to ask another one of Steve's co-workers where the detective was.

His name was Rumlow and he was busy pouring over files for a case with fellow detective Barton. Bucky stood to the side while Ella came up to the two men with a smile and asked where they might find Sitwell.

"I believe he's in his office." Rumlow told her. "He's been working hard to find your brother."

Bucky didn't miss the irritated twitch of Ella's lips.

"I'm sure he is." She breathed. "Thank you."

Bucky followed her down the hall, waiting as she knocked on the door before stepping inside. Sitwell was hunched over at his desk, looking up when the two of them entered. It didn't escape Bucky's notice as he tried to conceal what he was reading with another folder.

"Miss Rogers," the man said, pushing his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose. "What brings you in?"

"Oh, just wondering how the search is going."

Bucky was impressed how well she was able to appear as if she didn't suspect him in having a hand in the disappearance of her brother. She could have been a great actress.

"I've been searching very hard," he assured her. "This gang doesn't leave behind many clues."

Ella nodded thoughtfully. "I see. May I ask what happened to your hand?"

For the first time, Bucky noticed that Sitwell's hand was wrapped in white cloth, the barest stain from blood being apparent.

"Just a cut."

"Oh dear," Ella said, tapping her bottom lip with her fingers. "Did it need stitches?"

"It was clean."

Bucky now knew that Ella had been telling the truth about what she had seen.

"I see," she continued. "So it was from a blade I presume?"

"Well- yes." Sitwell shifted uncomfortably in his seat, loosening the tie around his neck.

"That's funny," Ella mused. "I found a knife with blood on it in my brother's apartment. It must of happened at the same time."

"Purely a coincidence," Sitwell sat, pushing his chair back and standing. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

He made to get past Bucky to the door, but was surprised when he was stopped by a hard hand on his chest, firmly pushing him back into the room until his back hit his desk. Ella had done her part to get him nervous, not it was up to Bucky to get him to sing.

"What do you know?" Bucky demanded, fists curling into Sitwell's shirt, hauling him up to his eye level.

"N-nothing!"

"Bull shit." Bucky spat, grabbing Sitwell's injured hand and digging his thumb into his cut.

The man cried out loudly in pain. "Alright, alright!" he gasped. "I was there! I'm part of HYDRA, I took Rogers!"

"Why?" Bucky asked, hoping he didn't look as surprised as he felt.

"He just kept on meddling in our business, putting more and more of us in jail." Sitwell said. "We had to put an end to it, he was just too good at his job."

"Where are they keeping him?"

Sitwell scoffed and laughed bitterly. "Like I'd tell you. Hurt me all you want but they would kill me if they found out I talked to you." He shook his head, a strange smile on his lips. "You know what the best part of all this is? You can't do anything about it. You could tell everyone I'm part of HYDRA, and believe me, there's more of us, but they wouldn't believe you. It's my word against yours."

Bucky grit his teeth, knowing that the man was right. He could try and tell everyone the truth, but it was just too outrageous. No one would believe him, Sitwell had worked with them all for so long.

"Actually, it's your word against yours." Ella spoke up after being silent for so long during the confession.

Both men looked her way, finding the girl holding the phone in their direction. With a smug smirk on her painted lips, she brought the phone to her ear. "Yes, Barton, I do believe you need another cell."

Against his own will, Bucky found himself grinning at the girl. One-step ahead of him, sharp as a tack. Now, they were able to put a criminal where he belonged; behind bars.

Bucky held on tight to Sitwell until Barton came and put him in handcuffs, not before sending a death glare at the girl standing behind his desk, shifting through the papers he had hoped to keep secret. God, they were going to kill him.

"Hey, Bucky." Ella said. "Come here."

Trying not to show how hearing her call him by his nick name made him feel, he came to her side, shoulder pressed against hers as she poured over the files. Her manicured fingers pointed at a map, highlighting the marked spot.

"Do you know this place?" she asked.

Bucky nodded. "It's been abandoned for years… or, so we thought at least."

"It's gotta be where they're keeping Steve."

"I think so."

Bucky looked to his right at Ella, who was gazing at him with a wide smile. He hadn't realized how close they had been while they looked over the maps, but they were now close enough to breathe each other's air. He liked seeing her look happy, something deep within him wanting to lean forward even closer and press his lips against hers like he had wanted to do all those years ago but he stopped himself. Now was not the time and he didn't even know where she would go after this was all over.

He cleared this throat. "Let's go."

"What, now?" she questioned. "It's just past noon!"

"Exactly. They won't be expecting it during the day." he nodded towards the door. "You coming?"

The pair rushed outside, hopping in Bucky's car and going on their way.

It was dead silent for a while, neither of them finding anything to say. All they had done was talk about Steve and now that they knew where he was, there was nothing else to say. Well, at first at least. Bucky took this time to ask the questions that had been plaguing his mind since he first laid eyes on her in his office.

"Did you come back just because of your relationship ending?"

Ella wrung her hands and nodded.

This wasn't the answer Bucky wanted, he wanted her to say that she had missed them and that's why she came back.

"When did it happen?"

"Two days ago." She answered, voice soft and raw at the same time. "But… it was a long time coming."

Bucky peeked at the girl as she stared forlornly out the window. "What do you mean?"

She hesitated, face cloudy as she debated with herself. With a trembling lip, she finally began to speak. "You were right about him. He was terrible and I didn't see it until it was too late." She sighed. "Even when I did, I still stayed with him. I was so stupid…"

"What did he do to you? Did he hurt you, Ella?" Bucky asked, feeling the burn of anger spread through his limbs.

"Not physically, no." she said. "He was just… mean. He was nasty and spoke to me so horribly, called me worthless and even worse… and then one day, I just couldn't take it anymore. I packed my bags and went to leave. He tried to stop me, tried saying that he loved me and when that didn't work, said I would be nothing without him. Still heard him screaming at me until I got in the taxi."

Bucky reached out with his right hand, covering hers to try and comfort her. He could hear the pain in her voice, that would explain the way she looked every time he mentioned her ex. Bucky couldn't feel like a bigger idiot.

"Why did you stay so long?"

"Like I said, I was stupid." She said, instinctively squeezing Bucky's hand. "I didn't want to be wrong, I didn't want you to look at me with a smug smile when I came back and have to hear the 'I told you so.'" She bit her bottom lip. "Eventually, I realized that whatever awaited me back home was better than how I was living. You treated me so well and all I could do was hope you would forgive me for how I acted."

Bucky took a moment to process all that she had just told him.

"I was also just dating him to try and make you jealous, at first." Ella said with a small smile. "I think that plan didn't work out so well."

"Jealous?"

Ella nodded, cheeks flaming. "I really liked you, but I didn't think you would even look my way the way I wanted you to."

Now that was some news. How ironic that they had both wanted the same thing, refused to admit it to each other, and end up having it blow up in their faces.

"Ella, I'm sorry that all happened to you."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Doesn't mean I still can't hate that you had to go through that." He flashed her a comforting smile. "One way or another, we'll make this better again. You, me and Steve like it used to be."

The corners of her lips tugged upwards as she laced her fingers through his own. "I'd like that. I really would."

Before they could speak anymore, they were at their destination. Bucky parked his car, leaning over and opening his glovebox before pulling a pistol out of it.

Ella stared at the weapon with wide eyes. "You're not going to have to use that, are you?"

"Let's hope not," he mumbled, undoing his seatbelt and moving to get out of the car. "Stay here, okay?"

"Wait!" she gasped, gripping onto his arm. They held each other's gazes evenly for a heartbeat before Ella leaned forward and kissed him. Bucky instinctively kissed her back, hand going to cup her cheek and draw her even closer. It only lasted a few wonderful, breathless moments before they parted.

"Be careful." She urged.

"I will."

He made sure to lock the door before inhaling deeply and looking at the towering building. He had to hope that his friend was in there, alive. He had to bring him back, he hadn't seen his sister in over two years. He deserved that, at least.

Bucky swallowed his fear and headed inside, clutching his gun so tightly his knuckles were white. He scanned every room of every floor, hoping to find Steve. As each room he found was empty, Bucky felt his hope lessen and dread grow. Perhaps they had moved him, maybe he wasn't even alive anymore.

That was, until he reached the very top floor.

They had made a makeshift cell for Steve. He was hunched in the corner on a small cot, eyes shut. Bucky saw how beaten up he looked, bruises making his right eye swell up and a busted lip. It was a familiar sight, almost. Steve used to get into fights all the time.

"Steve!" Bucky hissed, rushing over to the bars.

His friend look up, face melting into one of disbelief. "Buck? What are you doing here?"

"Save your sorry ass." He muttered. "Where are the keys?"

Steve pointed to the wall across from him, Bucky wasting no time before snatching them up and freeing his friend from the confining cell. He looked relieved to be out and to see his best friend again.

"Come on," Bucky said. "Let's get out of here."

"Not so fast." Another voice spoke.

Steve and Bucky spun around, seeing an unwelcomed sight. It was Steve's coworker, Rumlow. Sitwell had been right when he said there was more of them. They had been hidden in plain sight the entire time, but Steve already knew Rumlow was one of them, he had been one of the people to fight him into submission.

Rumlow wasn't the worst part, though. The worst part was that he had Ella by the hair, barrel of a gun pointed right at her slightly pink face. There were wet trails of tears on her cheeks glistening in the low light.

"Ella?" Steve breathed, his sister being the last person he expected to see here.

"Don't move." Rumlow ordered. "Or else this pretty thing here gets it." he jabbed her temple with the barrel of his gun, causing her to whimper and shiver.

Bucky felt his hands curl into fists, but he complied. He couldn't risk her. He dropped his gun and put his hands up, eyes narrowing at Rumlow's expression.

"Bad choice," he tsked. "We were tired of keeping Rogers alive for so long. You were all going to die anyways."

"No!" Bucky cried as he heard the click of his gun being loaded.

Ella, however, reacted fast. She latched onto the hand hold the weapon, pointing it upwards at the ceiling and away from her and her loved ones as it fired. Bucky used this momentary distraction to charge Rumlow, knocking into him to get him to let go of Ella. The two men tumbled onto the ground, Rumlow's head cracking against the cement and knocking him out.

Bucky stood, grabbing Rumlow's gun just for good measure before turning towards Ella. She seemed a little shaken, hair in disarray and clothes wrinkled. She looked at Bucky before stumbling towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and allowing him to support her weight.

"I'm sorry, he just came out of nowhere and I-"

"Shh," Bucky whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

She leaned back, looking at him with her bright blue eyes before kissing him again. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin. She just wanted to be close to him, glad that they were finally safe and together again.

When they parted, they found Steve standing off to the side, dumbfounded.

"I was only gone for a day." he said.

Ella chuckled, drawing both of her boys in for an embrace. "All that matters is that we're together again. Nothing's gonna change that."


	5. Chapter 5

**Requested AU where Ella fell off the train instead of Bucky. Hope you all enjoy this quick one!**

 **…**

Bucky would never forget that moment.

He could still vividly recall the biting of the harsh cold on his exposed flesh, the wind and snow stinging at his cheeks. He would never forget the roar of the train on the tracts as they sped along the mountain side. He would never forget the pounding of his heart against his ribcage as he tried to shield her from the rain of fire being set upon them.

He would never forget the weight of the shield in his hand, or the power of the blast that blew open the side of the train. He would never forget those first few moments of foolish, peaceful ignorance, not knowing where she was, only to hear her voice scream out his name.

Bucky would never forget how she looked clinging onto that piece of mangled metal, scraping into her palms and drawing bright blood. He would never forget how the cold caused her fair face to turn red, contorted in terror as her ripped skirt whipped around her thighs in the wind. He would never forget the look in her bright blue eyes as she looked up at him.

Bucky would never forget how he reached out to her, how her hand wrapped around his wrist and clung on desperately. He would never forget how his heart dropped when her first hand slipped, leaving her dangling by her left hand. He would never forget the slow, burning fear build in him as her grip began to loosen. He would never forget the sharp pain of her nails as she dug them into the skin of his wrist in a last attempt to hang on. He didn't notice the pain at the moment.

Bucky would never forget how the tips of her fingers curled around his, hanging onto him with only a few centimeters of contact as if it would save her.

He would never forget the hurt that went through him as her fingers slipped between his and she fell. He would never forget her face, or her scream, or how it cut through him sharper than a blade. He would never forget the feeling of screaming her name after her falling body.

" _Ella!"_

He couldn't remember the next few moments, which went back in a numb haze. He had turned to Steve, who stared in wide-eyed horror at the spot where his sister had just been.

Bucky would always remember how Steve broke. The first and only time ever he had ever done so. He had collapsed on his knees beside Bucky, ripping off his helmet and letting it clatter to the ground beside him. He would never forget the despair on his face as he shook his head in disbelief. His last family, gone just like that.

Bucky would never forget the immense wave of guilt that had washed over him. He was supposed to protect her, and he couldn't. He couldn't hold on to her, she fell right through his fingers. The girl he grew up with, the girl he had come to love… and now she was gone.

He would never forget the feeling of the first tear, how it felt scalding hot against his cold cheeks. He had picked up her locket, the chain had broken from her neck in the blast. His fingers closed around it, a reminder.

He would never forget attending her funeral, burying an empty casket. He would never forget how his sorrow morphed in burning fury, how he craved revenge for what happened more than anything. Something had to be done, both he and Steve agreed.

He remembered going with his best friend to fight the monsters who had taken away the girl that he loved. He remembered how he fought with everything in him as if it was the last thing he was going to do, which it could have been. Bucky remembered climbing onto that plane with his best friend and going down in it, the only comfort being that he was going to be with Ella again.

Only, that didn't work out.

He had woken up seventy years later, a serum like the one that ran through Steve's veins pumped through his own and kept him alive, frozen under ice. He didn't understand at first, why he could survive and Ella couldn't. It didn't seem fair.

Bucky didn't know how he managed through those years, trying to adjust to a new life in a new time. He was thankful he was with Steve and that he wasn't alone in his experiences. His best friend became a hero while he worked in the shadows, doing the things that Steve couldn't. He was an icon, Bucky wasn't. He had the same abilities as his friend, he just needed to learn how to use them.

Bucky would never forget those fateful few days when SHIELD turned on them, revealing that HYDRA was still in power. He remembered going on the run with Steve, fearing what the future would hold.

He would never forget the first glimpse of the figure donned in all black, standing sinisterly in the middle of the day on the street. He would never forget the lethal precision that they fought with, the strength they had, even for being as small as they were. Bucky would never forget the sight of a gleaming metal arm swinging at him.

Bucky would always remember the moment Steve threw them over his shoulder, how they stood and faced them. He had felt like cold water had been dumped on him as he stared at the figure, who must have been a ghost.

He remembered the blank, empty look in her blue eyes, the cool indifference she looked at them with, how her hair fell in limp, dull strands barely brushing her shoulders. He would never forget the shock he felt when he saw her as they made her.

" _Ella?_ "

Her blank mask had cracked, lips parting and eyes narrowing slightly as if that name meant something to her. Bucky was disappointed when she didn't look thrilled to see them again, let along recognize them. How was it she didn't know them? It didn't make any sense.

Bucky remembered how Steve told him he had met her again on the helicarriers, how tortured she seemed that she couldn't remember them. Bucky wished he had seen her again, to try and talk to her. She had to remember him after what they shared. They had loved each other, certainly that wasn't something that could so easily be erased from one's memories.

Bucky remembered searching for her for so long, finding nothing. In the end, it was her who came to him.

She appeared at night, knocking on the door to the apartment he and Steve shared. He remembered the surprise at seeing her standing there, choppy hair tucked behind her ears, face hidden by a hat, wearing several layers of cheap clothes and a glove on her left hand. Bucky remembered being speechless until Steve came to his side, demanding to know who was at the door before he had the same reaction at seeing his lost sister.

" _I need help."_ Had been her small plea. Bucky had committed the sound of those three words to memory, the first time he had heard any sound pass through her lips in seventy years.

Bucky remembered how she had made herself small on the couch, a strange sight after seeing what she was now capable of. He hated what HYDRA had made her, taking away her youth and beautiful innocence and molding her into a weapon, one that couldn't question orders. Bucky's hands had curled into fists as he thought about the pain they must have caused her, how long she probably waited for him or Steve to save her from the hell HYDRA had created, but they left her to suffer at their hands. Bucky felt familiar guilt bubble in his chest.

He remembered how long it had taken her to grow comfortable around the two of them, how she shied away at first like an abused animal. He remembered how his eyes were always drawn to the glistening metal appendage that they had made her, wondering how it worked.

He remembered waking up one night to the sounds of quiet sobs. He had crawled out of bed and went to the kitchen, finding her muffling her cries behind her right hand over the sink of the kitchen. Her shirt was sleeveless, giving him a glimpse of the puckered, pink scar tissue that rose up where metal met flesh. He remembered tentatively speaking up, drawing her attention. He remembered her red, swollen eyes, pained and tortured.

He remembered how she opened up to him that night for the first time about what she went through in their years apart. Bucky remembered the rawness in her voice as she explained what they made her do, how she had to kill others for them because they told her so. She didn't want to say a number, Bucky told her not to do that to herself.

She told him she had nightmares about the chair they would strap her in to make her forget, the pain that coursed through her body the moment she began to recall anything, including after seeing the two of them on the bridge. Bucky wanted to know how much she remembered, but didn't ask.

He remembered how she began to open up in the following weeks, small flashes of the girl he grew up with showed. From snarky comments at Steve, to a strange fussing she would make over them when they got back from a fight that she didn't even understand at first. She began to mention events from their pasts, which they would confirm and even add details, watching as her face grew brighter the more she recalled.

Bucky remembered being happy as well as glum, glad she was remembering for herself, but wishing she remembered about the two of them. Bucky had told Steve about the nature of their relationship not long after they got out of the ice, he noticed the sympathetic glances he would send at him from time to time.

Bucky remembered when she had knocked on his bedroom door late one night. He remembered how she licked her lips in nervousness as she walked in and sat down on the edge of his bed. He remembered hearing her quivering breath before she spoke.

"I remember what we were."

It had been months since she had come to them and he was finally hearing the words he craved to hear for so long, and now, he didn't know how to respond. Instead of speaking, he reached into the drawer by his bedside and pulled out her locket. It wasn't attached to a chain, so he simply dropped the pendant in her open palm.

She popped it open, a slow smile creeping onto her lips. "I thought I had lost this." Her eyes flickered to his. "I've remembered this all for a while now… I just didn't know how to say it."

"Don't worry about this," he said earnestly. "Worry about yourself first. Get better."

She didn't seem to hear it. Ella leaned forward, metal hand reaching out before pausing. She glared at her left hand, as if it was something she hated. Bucky noted this, softly taking her hand within his own and intertwining their fingers, letting her know it was okay. He wasn't scared of her.

Bucky remembered how loud his heart was beating as she inched closer, eyes heavily lidded. She was close enough that he could feel her breath on his lips, teasing him nearly. At last, her lips met his. His head exploded with emotion as he felt her melt into his arms just like she used to. She didn't pull away, allowing Bucky to wrap his arms around her for the first time in years. He savored every moment as he felt the warmth of her skin, fingertips trailing over her scars, learning her all over again, as different as she was the same.

He would never forget the joy that filled his body when they finally parted, seeing her look just as happy as he was. He fondly brushed a strand of hair out of her face, glad to see light in her eyes yet again.

"I'll never forget you again," she whisper, leaning against him.

Bucky knew it would be true.

...

 **Feel free to send in requests!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Quick AU I thought of, just to get something out while I have the time.**

 **AU: Ella never is taken by HYDRA. Her life went on after Steve and Bucky disappeared.**

 **…**

When Steve got out of the ice, the first thing he had to know about was Ella. It took a little bit of searching, but they finally located her. She was miraculously still alive, living in a retirement home, her room stationed right beside Peggy's.

Steve found out, before he went in to see her, about her life. She had found a husband, another veteran from the war, and they had started a large family together back in New York after the war had ended. She worked beside Peggy for some time, doing what she could while the agent founded SHIELD. Then, her children and even her grandchildren joined the organization. Steve was able to meet two of her grandchildren, a boy and a girl, both about the age they had been during the war. The boy was named Steven, (Which came as a surprise to Steve. Apparently the name was passed down.) The boy must take from the other side of the family, from the dark hair and eyes. The girl's name was Mary and god, did she look like Ella. The same hair and eyes… maybe her nose wasn't as pointed but still, the resemblance was uncanny.

When Steve finally worked up the nerve to see her, he tried to stay calm. He didn't know what she could be like. She had lived a whole life without him.

When he gently pushed open the door, he felt his heart clench at the sight of his sister. Her golden hair had faded to silver. Her face was carved with deep wrinkles, her cheeks losing their roundness and becoming hollow. Still, her face broke out into a wry smile when she saw him.

"Steve!" her voice was weaker now, slightly rasping.

He sat by her bedside and tried to keep his emotions in check as she told him about the life she lived. Steve never wanted to see his sister like this while he remained strong and young. He wanted to have shared the wonders of life with her, he wanted to be at her wedding, to hold his first niece of nephew… but he missed all of it.

Still, what got him the most was when Ella reached into her night dress and produced a golden locket, holding it out for her brother to see as she opened it.

It was then that she explained the true nature of her relationship with Bucky as Steve's eyes flickered back and forth from the photo of a young Ella and how she looked now. He would have never expected this, but he was glad she told him, even if it was late.

"I never stopped loving him," she admitted, tracing the curves of the metal with her fingertips. "Even the man I married never made me feel the way Bucky did."

That's why it was even harder for Steve to eventually have to tell his sister that the love of her life had been alive this whole time.

Bucky was probably more torn up about it than Ella was. He paced the room after Steve had revealed his sister was alive as well.

Bucky didn't know if he wanted to see her. She wouldn't be the woman he had left, but then again, he wasn't the man he used to be either. They had both lived life times away from each other, becoming different people in the many years spent apart. Bucky knew she had started a family, but he wasn't mad. It's what he would have wanted for her, instead of the girl he loved moping around with a broken heart, pushing away anyone that attempted to get close.

He wasn't ready to visually see her now. The last memories he had were of her being a young woman… how drastic the change would be. Still, Bucky knew deep down he had to see her.

When he pushed open the door to Ella's room, the moment the woman laid eyes on him, she broke down in sobs. Bucky kneeled by the side of her bed, listening to her babble amongst the cries.

"All the years…" she mourned, wiping a wrinkled eyes with a withered hand. "I left you with those monsters for all those years."

Bucky clutched her boney hand and squeezed it. "It's not your fault… you didn't know."

He noted that she still wore the locket he gave her around her neck, after all those years…

Eventually, she stopped crying and looked at him with familiar eyes framed by unfamiliar skin. Her face was still one of a woman who had once been beautiful, and Bucky knew she had been. He wished he could have lived a life with her, grown old alongside of the woman he loved… but that future was gone. He would never get to live that life with Ella.

Bucky visited her as much as he could manage, wanting to hear every detail about her life that he had missed. Her eyes still shone in the same way when she spoke, bringing back fond memories of the girl she had once been.

This went on for a few months until one night, in the middle of the night, both he and Steve got calls. Bucky had sat up in bed, already knowing the dread what news would be spoken into his ear, but it didn't make it any less painful.

 _Gone._

Bucky crushed the phone in his metal hand, the pieces sparking and falling through his fingers. He hunched over on the bed, feeling hot tears trail down his face. He knew it was coming, but he hadn't expected it to be so painful. Their time together had been too short, fate hadn't allowed them the life they had desired… and now, the girl he had loved was gone.

The funeral was a few days after, the service filled with Ella's family. She had three children; Sarah, Steven, and even a James. They all stood with tears in their eyes, laying down flowers at their mother's grave, behind them, their own children.

Bucky had seen them a few times, but again was blown away by how much the girl, Mary, looked like Ella. Her young blue eyes met his for a moment, filled with sorrow that matched his own. Bucky tore his gaze away and looked down at his hand where he held the locket that Ella had left for him. He studied the photo of the two of them, missing the moment with all his being.

Bucky eventually came up to the gleaming gravestone, looking down at her name carved neatly in a bold print. Steve came up beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, staring down at where his sister would lay for eternity. He wished it didn't have to end this way.

All Bucky could do was hope that one day, when the time was right, he would see her again on golden shores and the girl he loved would smile brightly at him, the way he remembered, and embrace him once more.


	7. Chapter 7

**1930's AU that was requested. Ella's a movie star, Steve's her manager, and she's in a secret relationship with Bucky.**

 **…**

Ella Rogers had a face that the cameras loved.

That was what the tabloids and critics said after seeing one of her pictures anyways. A face that the camera men always lingered on a second longer than needed, that left the audience missing the sweet, angelic curves of her face once the angle shifted.

Bucky always saw her pictures. He was always there at the premiers, among the wealthiest and most famous being in New York, watching the dramatic story play out on the silver screen.

He didn't always enjoy watching them, especially if it was a romance film. He didn't enjoy watching her kiss other men, even if it was fake. He didn't like the idea of another man holding her in their arms, no matter how short it was. Bucky would always catch Ella turning in her seat during one of those scenes, smirking at how apparent the jealousy was on his face.

Ella was a great actress, but there were some things from the films that weren't nearly as amazing as they were in person. The audience would never see her bright and beautiful eyes, only seeing them in dull shades of grey. They would never know that the passion she forced into her eyes was nothing compared to the real thing, how she would look at him when no one was around. Her eyes alone could tell a story.

Bucky never sat among the stars who reclined in the velvet seating, instead standing in the back against the wall. He wasn't like them, he didn't share their status. He was a chauffeur, Ella's to be exact. It wasn't a bad job, Bucky was happy just to have one. He had known Ella and her brother forever. Her brother moved on to become her manager and the two of them miraculously managed to work him into the business, even if it was only a small role.

The film came to an end. Everyone stood and applauded, Ella and her co-stars coming to the front of the theater and taking a bow. Photos were taken, people shook Ella's hand, and Steve began speaking with producers and other actors as his sister worked her almost magical charm, drawing people towards her.

Bucky went to pull the car around. Outside the theater were a large group of fans. His presence didn't spark anything, all of them speaking to one another excitedly. He got into the sleek, black car and parked it right outside, waiting patiently. He knew they had come outside when the crowd burst into excited screams. He looked to his right and saw Ella, who had just wrapped a fur coat over her shoulders, waving to her fans. She walked down the row and signed some autographs, Steve trailing behind her, still speaking to a director.

Bucky couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked, floating down a red carpet, her golden dress shimmering in the flashes from cameras, silky hair curled and pinned gracefully at the back of her head. She looked like a million bucks.

Eventually, she looked away from her fans, meeting Bucky's eye through the window of the car, her face breaking out into a wide grin. He got out of the car and opened the door for her, holding out a hand as she stepped into the car. Bucky closed the door behind her, looking up to find Steve starting towards him.

"Get her home as soon as you can." Steve said, clapping a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "She has a photoshoot early tomorrow."

Bucky nodded. "Of course. See you tomorrow, Steve."

"See you later, Bucky."

He climbed into the car and started the engine, looking to his right to see Ella staring out the window and still waving daintily at her fans. He drove slowly, just because he knew how much it meant to the people waiting outside the theater. Eventually, he turned the corner and it was like a whole other world of still, quietness. Nothing but the sound of the wheels on the road and their breathing. Immediately, Bucky reached over and clutched her hand within his own.

"Did you like it?" Ella asked hopefully, looking at him with wide eyes.

"You know I love all your films," he said. "I just don't like seeing you with other men."

Ella rolled her eyes dramatically. "You know it's all pretend." She raised a brow, finger trailing down his arm. "Only you get to see the real thing."

Bucky smirked, eyes not leaving the road. "And I consider myself lucky."

Ella leaned over in her seat and placed a quick kiss on his jaw, noting with pleasure that his face broke out into a grin.

"And you should!" Ella said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Not just any man gets New York's most desired young lady to himself every night."

"I know." Bucky said. "Too bad I can't show you off."

"Yeah…" Ella said softly, looking down and playing with the crystals that clung to her dress. "It really is a shame…"

They couldn't be seen together, not in the way they wished to. They were from completely different worlds, the idea of a woman of Ella's status fraternizing with a man so below her socially would be a complete scandal in these times. So, they kept it a secret. No one knew save for the two of them. As far as the world knew, Ella was still single and waiting for an eligible bachelor to sweep her off her feet. Little did they know that Ella had been swept up almost a year ago.

There had always been an undeniable closeness between the pair. They grew up together and the friendship slowly morphed into something else, although they were slow to admit it. It was only after Ella's career took off did things really start to happen. The long rides in the car with only the two of them allowed something new to spark and one day, they were locking lips in the parked car.

Ella didn't know how much longer she could handle keeping it hidden. She wanted to scream to the world that she was in love with him, but that would put her career in jeopardy. She would be shunned by her peers, who only dated among the small circle. In Hollywood, her reputation was everything. She had once asked Bucky if he wanted her to tell, but he didn't want to harm her career.

They soon pulled up to Ella home. It was modest compared to some of her peers, but was still elegant and sophisticated in a way that only a person with money could have. There was an iron gate that appeared in the form of twisting vines which opened as they drove upwards.

Bucky got out and opened her door for her, the girl holding to his arm tightly as he walked her up to the door.

"You gonna come in tonight?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting her lip.

"Your brother said you have a shoot early in the morning."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Just another reason for you to stay! Then you wont have to drive her so early." She stood on her toes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "Please?"

Bucky sighed heavily at how easily he bent to her will, but didn't try to go against it as he waltzed her through the door, kicking it shut behind them.

They were both too wrapped up in one another to notice the quick flash of light and the figure huddling behind a stone pillar outside the gates, clutching their camera to their chests as tight as they could because it held tomorrow's front page news.

…

Bucky awoke early the next morning to the sound of heels on wooden floors. He slowly cracked his eyes open, rapidly blinking away the sleep that still clung to them. He looked to his right, finding the bed empty beside him. He looked a bit further, finding Ella standing before her vanity mirror, putting on a pair of pearl earrings.

"What time is it?" yawned Bucky, stretching his arms over his head.

"Early," replied Ella, looking at him fondly over her shoulder. "You know, like the time you were supposed to be picking me up?"

Bucky laughed into a pillow. "Good thing you're the responsible one."

With some urging from Ella, Bucky managed to crawl out of bed and get himself looking presentable. They shared one last quick peck on the lips before opening the door and going outside, briskly walking to the car to begin that day's adventure.

The moment they parked and Ella got out of the car, she was instantly ushered into the building by a small army of people, poking and prodding at her hair and scrutinizing her face to see if any makeup retouches needed to be done. Bucky didn't know how she handled all the fuss.

Ella answered all the questions being thrown at her as she walked through the halls. She was so focused on the people around her that she didn't even notice her brother coming up to her side until he firmly grabbed her arm.

"May I steal her for a moment?" he asked the small crowd.

There were mummers of allowance and Steve whisked her away in the opposite direction.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" asked Ella upon seeing the strange look on his face.

Steve came to an abrupt halt, shoving something into her hands.

Ella clutched the newspaper tightly, brows furrowing as she looked down and read the headline. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted as she realized what it was.

 **Starlet Scandal!  
Actress Ella Rogers seen in arms of unknown man.**

It was a photo of her and Bucky, but his face wasn't visible, but hers sure was, and there was more love and devotion on her face in that one picture than she could muster in all of her films. Ella bit her lips and looked up at Steve, waiting for him to speak.

"What is this?" he asked. "You know you can't have a scandal this early in your career! It could end it."

"I don't see how it's a scandal…" Ella said.

"Oh, so you don't see anything wrong with an unmarried woman, however famous, inviting a random man into her home?"

"He's not just some random man." Ella argued.

Steve raised a brow, planning a hand on his hip. "Then do I know him? Is it the man you worked with on your last film? Is he an actor?"

"No and no…" Ella replied sheepishly, wringing her hands in front of her. "But you know him."

Steve sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, you can't deny that it happened there's proof right there… I guess you can end the contact between the two of you and just try and forget it ever happened…"

"That won't happen." Ella told him. "Because… that's Bucky."

Steve looked up sharply and snatched the paper out of her hands, bringing it closer to his face and studying the photo. Now that she said it, it seemed so obvious. How had he not noticed it before?

Steve spluttered a but before speaking coherently. "So was that just a one time thing or…?"

Ella shook her head. "No. It's been going on for a while. I think I love him."

This all seemed too much for Steve at the moment. If it had been in any other situation save for Ella being an actress, he would have welcomed this relationship, but the social statuses of the two made this whole ordeal more difficult.

"Steve, I'll stop acting if I need to." Ella said honestly. "I don't want a silly job getting in the way of this."

"I'm- I'm sure we can work this out somehow…" Steve said, mostly to himself. His job was to take care of his sister, it had always been that from when they were children to now in the professional world. He couldn't have her named blacked or people talking badly about her, not when she didn't deserve it.

Ella's jaw clenched in determination. "Don't worry. I'll do it."

Before Steve got the chance to question what she meant, Ella took off down the hall.

"Hey!" Steve called, stumbling after her and skidding around the corner. "What the hell are you doing?"

Ella burst back outside, Bucky just happening to be looking for her, the day's paper in his hands.

"Did you see-?" he began.

"Yes I did." Ella said, grabbing his hand tightly. "Now come with me!"

Bucky didn't have any time to question before she dragged him after her into the building. Ella knew the twists and turns of the hall, leading him to where the photoshoot she was supposed be at was set up. The people in the room seemed surprised at her sudden arrival. Bucky felt nervous having all of their eyes on him. He wished he knew what was going on in her head.

"If you want to take a picture of something," Ella announced, marching in front of the cameras. "Take a picture of this!"

She hopped slightly and threw her arms over his shoulders, kissing him suddenly. Bucky, at first startled, reacted naturally, cupping her cheeks with his palms and drawing her closer.

The small audience all gaped for a moment before they dropped the newspapers they were gossiping over to photograph the real thing for themselves. Bucky and Ella hardly noticed the clicks and flashes of the cameras, too wrapped up in one another and the relief of their relationship finally being out in the open.

Steve skidded to a stop in the doorframe, brows raising at the sight before him. It was not something that he ever expected to see, but as his best friend and his sister parted with wide grins on their faces, he realized that it was right. Soon, a swarm of people gathered around them, rapidly asking questions to get the inside scoop of the story. Ella was used to the attention and handled it beautifully, but Bucky seemed a bit awkward at first. He met Steve's gaze through the crowd, the both of them laughing and shrugging at the situation Ella had gotten them into. Still, Steve believed deep down that it would work out for them.

And he was right.

At first, this story was all over the news. Ella thought it was better to get interviewed and give the true story before any wild rumors began to circulate. People talked, of course. It was the hottest gossip of the month. There were some who raised a brow at what they considered to be a strange relationship, but most welcomed it. Bucky got used to some of the spotlight, being in a relationship with Ella meaning he was almost famous by association.

Still, the couple didn't care. They had each other, and with that, they could get through anything.

 **…**

 **Hope you liked this! I'm trying to pace myself with Chasing Memories at the moment because it won't be much longer until we are caught up with the Marvel timeline. So, I'll probably just be doing a handful of oneshots for awhile just to keep writing and giving you all Bucky/Ella.**

 **I'm also trying to get through all of the requests, so if you have any ideas, send them in. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Requested old west AU. Enjoy!**

 **…**

There were many perks to being the sheriff of a small town.

The pay was good, far better than anyone else's. There was respect from all of the townspeople, who would nod his way and smile when they passed. His office was in the middle of a clustered town square, right beside the saloon if he wanted to rewind after a long day of work.

Most importantly, the window to his office gave Bucky a great view of the general store, and Miss Ella Rogers who kept it.

Ella Rogers was said by many to be the most beautiful and desired women in the town, and travelers who stopped in their humble town on the frontier would agree, saying that even in their town she would reign supreme. Her skin was somehow fair in the blazing western sun, golden hair always neatly tied back in a light blue ribbon. She was like a breath of fresh air in the stale town, a flower in the middle of the desert, which ironically, she was known for.

In front of her shop, Ella kept flowers in small pots. It was amazing really, those beautiful pops of color which were found no where else in a hundred mile radius, somehow blossomed in her caring hands.

That's when Bucky would see her the most; when she was watering her flowers. She did it at closing time every day. A trick, she said, so that the precious water wouldn't vanish in the scalding afternoon sun. He would always see her through his window, sometimes, forgetting what he was doing and just watching her willow-like movements. She would meet his eye every day and send him a toothy grin, taking a hand off her watering can and waving. It was his favorite moment of the day.

Bucky had known her for a long time. When his parents moved to this town, Ella and her brother were new too. The three children hit it off right away, becoming the closest of friends. Ella's brother, Steve, was now his deputy, who wasn't quite aware of how smitten he was for his sister. As far as Bucky could tell, she seemed quite interested in him too, not that either of them had ever made an advance towards one another. Not yet, anyways.

The sun was just sinking past the horizon, turning the dirt into a sea of fire. Bucky walked out of his office beside Steve, just across the way, Ella was locking up the store. She looked over her shoulder at the sound of the boots crunching against the dirt road, smiling brightly.

"Evening," she greeted, tucking the key into the pocket of her long, dusty gray skirt.

Bucky tipped the rim of his hat in greeting. "Ella."

"How was business today?" Steve asked. "Did Mr. Maximoff come in again?"

Ella laughed lightly and nodded. "Yes. Three days in a row, now. Hung around for half an hour before buying just a pencil. Talked the whole time."

"I think he's sweet on you," Steve said.

"Yes, I think so too." She said. Bucky didn't know if she was blushing or if the red from the sunset was simply casting red light on her cheeks. He hoped for the latter, that someone else wasn't making her swoon. Her blue eyes snapped towards him. "What about you? Anything exciting today?"

Bucky shook his head. "Not today. Been awfully quiet lately."

"I suppose that means you're doing your job well." She grinned.

Bucky couldn't even respond, simply taking in the brightness of her smile, how it lit up her face and what felt like the entire street as well. God, he wished he could just muster up the courage and tell her how he felt, but he was scared of rejection. He was scared of what it might mean for his friendship with Steve. He didn't want anything to ruin it, put a strain on it… he was so protective of his sister, his last family. That was partially why he chose to be deputy.

"I suppose so," Steve spoke, startling Bucky out of his thoughts, forgetting his friend was there while he was enraptured in her spell.

"Well, I'll see you two tomorrow." Ella said. "Good evening."

She went on her way down the dirt road, worn, pointed toe boots kicking up small clouds of dust that floated in her trail. Bucky's gaze lingered on her a moment longer before Steve nudged his shoulder and nodded towards the tavern.

"Come on, let's get something to drink."

…

The next day was nothing special, again. All Bucky had to deal with was a drunk that was causing a slight disturbance. It only took a few minutes of convincing him to go home before the whole ordeal was over.

Bucky sighed heavily and trudged over to where his horse was tied to a post. Normally, he would walk but work brought him to the other side of town today.

Bucky looked up when the sound of heavy trotting of a horse reached his ears. Steve was coming towards him, before he even said anything, Bucky knew something was wrong. He skidded to a stop before him, a look of worry carved into his face.

"Buck, it's Ella. Something happened."

Bucky felt his stomach drop, but didn't hesitate to swing up on his horse and follow after his friend, dread spreading through his entire being wondering what could have happened. He only saw her that morning, opening up the shop. Was she hurt? Had she been taken?

"What happened?" he asked loudly.

"Robbery!"

…

They were at the general store faster than Bucky expected, but every second felt painful. He barely waited for his horse to slow down before hopping off. The first thing he noticed with despair was that her flowers had been knocked over, petals crumpled and ripped off. Still, he didn't linger on that, going through the door and into the store.

It was in disarray, broken glass and papers on the floor, displays knocked over… an all around mess. His gaze fell on Ella, who was sitting on the floor, back pressed against the wall. She had strands of hair falling from the tie, eyes wide and frightened still. There was a small cut on her cheekbone, smudged, dried blood surrounding it. Crouched by her side, clutching her hand and rubbing his hands soothingly down her arms was Mr. Maximoff, Pietro rather. He looked up when he heard Bucky enter.

"What happened?" he asked

Pietro answered. "I was coming to the store to buy something, saw the flowers in front and the door opened and I knew something was wrong. Came inside, and Ms. Rogers was slumped over on the floor."

Bucky lowered himself to her eye level, gently turning Ella's face to better examine the wound, now noticing that it was slightly swollen and bruising. Steve was then there as well, ushering Pietro away and taking his spot by his sister's side.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"I'm fine," Ella said trying to muster up strength in her voice, but it still trembled towards the end.

"What did they do?" Bucky asked.

"They… they stole everything. All the money." She said, voice breaking.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No- I mean, yes but I'm alright, really."

"Mr. Maximoff said he found you unconscious."

Ella sighed and hung her head, reaching out and grasping Bucky's hand tightly, looking for strength.

"Tell us exactly what happened," Steve urged.

She inhaled deeply before speaking. "Well, I opened the store, like usual… it was a slow day at first but then a group of four men came in. I didn't recognize them at first, figured they were just travelers… one of them walked up to me and told me to give him the money. I tried to run, but they grabbed me. We struggled, they pulled out a pistol. After I gave them the money, one of them hit me and I was out."

"Did you see their faces? What did they look like?" Bucky asked, feeling anger bubble up inside of him.

"His face… it had terrible burns all over it."

Steve stood up abruptly. "I'll go ask around." He walked out of the store, leaving Ella and Bucky alone. They were silent for a few moments, Bucky looking out the window to where his office was, only a few feet away.

"I should have been here."

"Don't do that to yourself, Bucky." Ella breathed. "You were doing your job. No one could have known that was going to happen."

"I'm sorry this happened to you." He said. "We'll get them, we'll get your money back… but for now, let's get you out of here. You can stay in my office."

He helped her off the ground, placing a hand on her lower back to make sure her wobbly legs didn't give out. Bucky watched as her face fell even more once she laid eyes on her ruined flowers. She turned away quickly, hiding her face in his sleeve.

"Just stay in here for a while," he said, motioning to his office. "I'll go find your brother and we'll figure this out."

"Wait!" Ella said, grabbing his wrist and stopping him from leaving. "There's something else."

Bucky took another step closer. "What is it?"

Ella looked down at her feet. "This… this is going to sound crazy." She hesitated before speaking, meeting his eyes and biting her lip. "I think it was Rumlow."

Bucky blinked once, not registering the shock that went through his being. Rumlow had lived in their town no more than a year ago. He was well respected and had a sizable amount of land and money, and was going to ask for Ella's hand. Everyone expected her to say yes, even Bucky did with no small amount of despair. That's why everyone was shocked when she turned him down.

Rumlow was humiliated to say the least, spending the night in the tavern, drinking away. He stumbled home drunk as could be. People believed that in his compromised state, he knocked over a candle which created a blaze that devoured his estate, with him inside.

"That's impossible." Bucky said. "He's dead."

"They never found a body." Ella said. "He spoke to me as if he knew me, asked if I missed him. I didn't recognize him at first, but it all makes sense… and he said he was coming back."

Bucky inhaled sharply. "We'll find him, don't worry."

"He's off, strange. He's dangerous, Bucky." She said. "Please, be careful."

Ella then stood up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his jaw, lips lingering there longer than either of them expected.

Bucky shook off his surprise and nodded. "I will, stay safe, don't leave that office."

She nodded, stepping away and shutting the heavy wooden door behind her. Now, all Bucky had to do was find the men that did this.

…

Bucky met up with Steve, the two of them going through the town and asking if they had seen a man with a burned face. Bucky informed his friend about what Ella told him, about who she believed the man truly was, causing Steve's worry to mirror his own.

There were people who were vaguely able to send the two off in the direction they believed the criminals headed, but in the end, it seemed they made it too easy.

Steve and Bucky were drawn to the sounds of gun shots and shouts on the edge of town. The pair rode there quickly, wondering what chaos had erupted now.

There were three men firing their pistols into the air, frightening a farmer and some of his cattle. It was a mess, but as Steve and Bucky rode towards the thugs, ready for a fight, they all dropped their guns and put their hands into the air.

Bucky blinked in surprised at the three men… only three. Ella had said there were four. Surely she had been correct on that, her mind was sharp. Bucky looked at their faces, seeing no fear or even guilt and no burns… they were missing one.

"Where's the other?" Bucky questioned as Steve placed the three in handcuffs, digging through their pockets and finding the stolen money.

The men didn't answer, only staring them down evenly.

Bucky's brows furrowed as he thought, wondering what their play was. Dread set in as he realized where he was compared to where Ella was and Rumlow's warning about how he would be back. He knew where he was.

"I know where he is." He said to Steve.

"Go," said Steve. "I got them."

Bucky wasted no time yanking the reins and speeding down the dirt roads towards where he feared Rumlow may be.

…

Ella saw him before he came up to the door.

She was sitting by the window, watching the sun sink into the red sands of the horizon, awfully bored. She had cleaned her cut and fixed her hair and now felt that she had nothing to do but worry about her brother and Bucky.

She was thinking about how she had kissed him before he left, that he didn't look uncomfortable, how he didn't react the way she feared he would. It gave her hope, that perhaps when he came back, she could tell him how she felt, how she wanted to be with him.

She was dragged out of her thought as she saw a menancing figure making its way down the road towards her. She sprung out of her seat and checked to make sure the door was locked. Ella dragged the chair she had been sitting it and jammed it under the door handle as an extra measure.

She was frantic as she looked around the room, only finding one exit which was currently locked up by her. She dug through Bucky's desk, looking for something to help protect herself, but there was nothing.

He tried to open the door. Ella gasped and pressed herself against the far wall, heart pounding. He hit the door harder, feeling like he was shaking the entire building. He did it again and again, Ella flinching every time until finally, he applied enough strength to break the door off it's hinges.

Ella shouted as the door fell loudly onto the ground, eyes moving warily up to the face of the figure, finding what she feared as he took off his hat.

It was Rumlow.

His face was marred greatly with burns, disfiguring him almost past the point of recognition, but she knew it was him.

He didn't say anything at first, taking heavy steps further into the room.

"Ms. Rogers." He spoke finally. "Good to see you again."

She looked towards the open door and made for escape, but she wasn't fast enough. He caught her by the waist, her desperate cry for help going unheard in the evening air. He threw her against the wooden desk, watching her scramble in fear as she clenched the corners so hard, her knuckles turned white.

"Let me go." She pleaded.

"Not yet." He said. "We're going to have a little talk first."

"And then what? You're going to kill me?"

Rumlow reached out towards her, but didn't expect her hand to shoot out and slap him across the face.

"Don't touch me!" she spat.

Unfortunately, that only succeeded in making him angry. He grabbed the hand that had just hit him hard enough to make her cry out.

"You humiliated me! You ruined me!" he roared.

"You ruined yourself, dammit!" Ella hissed. "You have no humility, you couldn't take no for an answer!"

He obviously didn't want to hear her speak anymore, hand closing around the swooping column of her throat. Something was wrong with him, Ella had been right. Although he had escaped the fire with his life, he had lost his mind. Something was missing, something made him like this.

Bucky saw his door open before he got off his horse. He cursed to himself, fearing that he was too late, that Rumlow had already completed whatever he came here to do. He sprinted up the wooden steps through the doorframe. He was right, Rumlow was already there with a hand wrapped around Ella's neck, the girl's hands repeatedly pounding on his shoulder to little effect.

"Hey!" Bucky shouted.

He drew Rumlow's attention for a moment, which was all Ella needed for her hands to grope around his desk before her fingers wrapped around a heavy, metal candle stick, drawing it back and hitting her assailant over the head with all the strength she could muster. It was effective, Rumlow dropping to the ground like a rock.

Ella instantly sucked in a deep, wheezing breath of air, chest heaving as she watched Bucky rush over and stick Rumlow's hands into a pair of thick cuffs, searching his person and confiscating his pistol before looking up to Ella, concern written all over his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her face tenderly into his hands.

Ella nodded, eyes narrowing at the unconscious man on the floor. "I got the bastard back."

Bucky chuckled. "Yeah, you did. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Her bright eyes flickered to him, filled with gratitude and something else that he couldn't read. She leaned forwards and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she murmured into his ear.

…

No more than an hour later, all four of the thugs were locked up, waiting to be transported to a more secure prison in the morning. Steve fretted over his sister all that night, examining her cuts and bruises and having her regale him with her tale countless times. He was proud that she was able to protect herself in the end.

Ella soon went back to the store to clear it up and by the end of the week, everything was back to normal. The only thing different was that Ella's flowers couldn't be saved, she had to discard the buds and petals, leaving the outside of her store looking like any other building in town.

Bucky caught her walking towards her store one morning, quickly leaving his office and going to her before she unlocked the door.

"Ella!"

She turned, smiling widely upon seeing who it was. "Morning."

Still, neither of them made an advance towards each other since the peck on the cheek Ella gave him.

"I have something for you," he said, taking another step closer.

"Oh, Bucky you didn't have-"

From behind his back he produced a small pot with a colorful, budding flower in it. Ella's lips parted in surprise as she took the pot into her hands tenderly, examining the beautiful flower.

"How did you get this?" she asked in awe.

"It wasn't easy." He admitted. "But I called in a few favors and-"

He was cut off by Ella going onto her toes, hand going to the back of his head and kissing him swiftly. Bucky responded immediately, hand going to her back and drawing her closer. It was everything either of them thought it would be and more, absolutely perfect.

They pressed their foreheads together as they parted.

"Well, I guess we should go to work." Ella laughed, lips curled into a content smile.

"I suppose we should." Bucky said. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Nothing could keep me away."


	9. Chapter 9

**Request where Ella ended up pregnant after Buck died.**

 **…**

Ella knew the days following Bucky's death would be trying.

Her heart already hurt, like a cruel hand was squeezing and twisting it, causing a fire to spread through her whole chest. It couldn't even be described as a heartbreak. At least, if a man broke a heart, there was always the knowledge that he was alive and maybe things could work out, but losing the man you loved was another story. Her heat wasn't broken, it was ripped through her ribcage and thrown in the dirt.

She wasn't the only one upset. Steve was distraught over it, shedding tears of his own, the first time she had seen him cry since their mother died. She understood why he felt the need to go and fight, so, with reluctance, she waved him off.

Little didn't she know that those fleeting glimpses of her brother climbing into a unmarked car would be the last she would see of him.

When she was told the news, her legs gave out. Peggy tried to catch her, but it didn't help much. Ella was screaming, not just sobs, but screams from down in her gut, her chest, her heart. Her fingers curled into her hair and tugged painfully, not that she really noticed. Her face turned red, cheeks stained with tears, huge and bulbous, that leaked in a never ending stream. She wondered how god could be so cruel, taking her love and her brother within the same week. She had no one, she was alone.

Peggy held her until she had exhausted herself and used up all her tears until she was only sniffling, staring blankly at the ground before her.

"What am I going to do?" she asked in a broken whisper.

"We'll take care of you, Ella." Peggy assured her, knowing it was what Steve would've wanted. His little sister was in her hands now.

So, she did. Peggy treated Ella as though she were family. She took her into her flat, giving her a room, a place to stay while she mourned. It was tough, to say the least. She had to burry an empty casket for her last family.

Ella felt terrible for the next few weeks following, feeling like a part of her was missing, which it was. She found herself feeling sick almost every day, often losing the contents of her stomach. She figured it was just a side effect of how she was feeling, how miserable she was, but when that time of the month came around… well, it just didn't.

Ella feared the worst.

She snuck out of her apartment one day, not wanting to worry Peggy if nothing happened, and went to the doctors, knowing they would be able to give her the answer she was looking for.

Ella clutched her locket tightly as she waited in the small, overly white room that smelled too clean. Her heart was racing wildly as the doctor tested her, performing a few standard operations. The doctor had a huge smile on his face when he gave her the news.

"Congratulations. You're pregnant!"

Ella couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had only been with Bucky one night! The chances were so small, but still, it happened. Now, she was unmarried, pregnant, and the father was dead.

The doctor saw her face fall instead of brighten like expecting mothers usually did. He looked down at her hand, finding it bare with no ring donning her finger. Now he knew why she reacted like this.

"Do you know who the father is?" the doctor asked gently.

Ella nodded wordlessly.

"Will you tell him?"

"I can't."

Ella left the office with her life shattered into a million pieces. She was being hit with one ordeal after another, life not allowing her a break. Her eyes began to well up as she walked down the street, looking up to the sky as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. What was she going to do? A single, unmarried mother. It would be seen as a scandal!

When she walked through the door of the apartment, Peggy was already home, the worry melting off her face and being replaced with relief.

"Oh, there you are," she said. "I didn't know where you went. Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Where'd you go?"

Ella bit her lip and looked down, feeling embarrassment and shame flood her being. "Peggy… I'm pregnant."

Peggy blinked once in surprise, not at all what she was expecting to hear. "You're… you're pregnant? Who… who's the father?"

Ella looked up slowly, brows furrowed and bottom lip trembling like an earthquake. "Bucky."

Peggy had known there was an attraction between the pair, but never knew they followed through on it. Now, she had to find out in the worst possible way. "Oh, Ella."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the crying girl, surprised she still had tears left to shed after these last few days. She had been through hell, and it wasn't over. This trial was just beginning.

The next day was the service for Steve and his sacrifice. Ella would be there to speak, she hoped she would be able to get through it all.

That morning, Peggy held her hair back as Ella shivered and was sick, crumped on the bathroom floor, face hot and limbs weak. She helped the girl look presentable, doing her hair and makeup as if nothing had happened.

That was the day everyone learned her name and story. Captain America's sister became the most talked about person in both the united states and England. Her face was printed on every paper, quotes about her ordeal with HYDRA. She was dragged in for interviews, asked about what he brother was like, how she felt about him getting the procedure and so on. She was a celebrity.

But that wasn't always a good thing.

When the baby bump began to grow, so did the whispers. She was unmarried, and not seen to be in a committed relationship. People threw the words whore and harlot at her on the streets, Ella tried not to let their words hurt her, knowing that Bucky would have been thrilled if he were still there.

That's what kept her going.

…

In the next century, the man Ella had thought dead would come back. Steve told her everything, always visiting her in her retirement complex. This was news that shocked her.

It took time for him to get his memories back, and to help, he looked up everything he could about the girl he had loved. There were many interviews to watch and read, some even mentioning him. There were plenty of photographs of her through the years, but there were many malicious things as well, specifically about her pregnancy.

Ella would never give a name to any of the reporters about who the father was, which lead to gossip magazines to concoct their own theories. They knew that Ella had been captured by HYDRA, some saying she slept with officials for her life, others suggesting other, more terrible causes of her pregnancy there as well. They believed it was the shame that caused her to with hold the name.

Bucky hated reading those things about her, because, well, he knew who the father was. With his memories back, he knew the timing matched up… he just couldn't believe it.

He resented himself for it. That he wasn't there to help Ella through those tough times, that he didn't get to watch his son grow up and now most likely looked physically older than him. It was all so messed up… but he went to see Ella anyways.

"Why didn't you ever get married?" he asked, sitting by her bedside.

Her wrinkled faced turned into a frown. "No one would have wanted to marry me. I had a child without a husband and people always thought the worst…"

"Then why didn't you ever tell them? Why didn't you tell the world I was the father?"

Ella sighed and looked down. "Your memory to the world was too pure. You were a hero. I didn't want anything, like knocking up an unmarried girl, to ruin that. It all was quite scandalous back them, you know."

"I know…" Bucky mumbled. "Does he know…?"

"His name is James and yes, I told him when he was old enough to understand the significance." Ella explained. "He was always teased about it, not knowing who his father was. The children weren't to blame, they were just repeating what they heard back at home…" her head turned to him, lips pointing upwards. "He looks just like you."

"Is he here?"

Ella pursed her lips. "It was a shock finding out that his father is still alive, looking younger than him. He's married with kids now too, I think he just needed time to process this."

Bucky nodded in understanding.

Ella reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it weakly. "Bucky, I won't be around much longer… when I'm gone, take care of them. Promise me you'll do that."

"I promise."

…

It was under a month later when she passed.

Bucky stood beside Steve at the funeral, placing flowers at the gravestone with a pained expression. He didn't have enough time with her, it wasn't fair.

The pair stood in silence until someone tapped Bucky's shoulder. He turned around, seeing a man with dark hair and a square jaw standing behind him. He evenly examined Bucky from behind a pair of thin glasses, in his arms, a young blonde girl with clear blue eyes.

This was James.

Bucky swallowed thickly, nervous at meeting him. However, James stuck out a hand, Bucky glancing down at it for a second before shaking it firmly. Both knew who the other was, not introductions were necessary.

Those around them looked upon the two men, seeing the uncanny resemblance between them, and then the question of who the father was faded away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, fair warning this one is REALLY long and I didn't plan it out to be. It's basically a modern military one, and I'll admit I don't know shit about the military, so I kinda just went along with it. enjoy!**

 **…**

Bucky Barnes tried to shake off his nerves as he jogged with another recruit under a cerulean sky. First day at training, he wanted to make a good impression with the man who was supposed to be his captain. He almost couldn't believe who he was assigned under when he got the message. Captain Rogers was the most respected and talented of all the Captains. Everyone wanted to learn from him.

Bucky cast a sideway glance at the man jogging beside him. He was in his unit. What was his name again? Rumlow? Bucky was pretty sure, but they had only met that day.

"What do you think he's gonna be like?" Rumlow panted at they made their way down the sinuous path that wrapped around the base. "I heard he has a thing about cursing. We're in the fucking army!"

Bucky scoffed out a laugh and shook his head. "I'm trying to limit any expectations."

He was more worried about what his captain would think of him. He wanted to prove himself, to ensure he displayed the talents and abilities he knew he had. He didn't want to choke and make a fool out of himself in front of his whole unit.

They came back to the main part of the base where they were to meet with their captain for the first time. He saw their group milling about the area, stretching out their arms and legs, hopping on the balls of their feet to shake out any nervousness. They were all vaguely familiar, he had seen them around before. Bucky cast a sweeping glance around the area, checking the see if the captain was there. However, he wasn't. Bucky expected him to be quite punctual.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Rumlow elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Check it out," he murmured, jerking his head to a figure before them.

It was a girl, obviously, kneeling down and lacing up her boots. Her back was to them, but Bucky could see her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, not a hair out of place. She donned dark green pants and a black tank top. She stood, Bucky seeing that she was small, but her arms were sculpted with lean muscle.

"Is she in our unit?" Bucky asked, willing her with his mind to turn around so he could get a proper look at her.

"I dunno," Rumlow shrugged before looked at Bucky, a smug smirk on his face. "Watch this,"

Bucky already knew what was about to go down before the man took a step.

Rumlow swaggered up to the girl, Bucky taking a few steps forward to get a better look. He tapped her on the shoulder, getting her attention as she turned to him.

Bucky got a good look at her face. She hardly looked like she should be in the army, cheeks rounded and roseate, nose delicate and pointed. Even with her youthful and pretty looks, she stared down Rumlow evenly as she waited for him to speak.

"Hey, sweetheart," he crooned. "What's a nice thing like you doing in a place like this?"

She didn't seem remotely amused by his subpar flirting.

"Listening to crappy flirting," the girl quipped back.

Bucky watched in amusement, the rest of the men also giving their attention to the situation, wondering where this would lead and if it would be entertaining at all.

"Aw, come on, I'm sure you love it," Rumlow said. "Why else would you be in a place surrounded by men if you didn't was a bit of attention?"

Bucky wanted to stick his own foot into Rumlow's mouth. He cringed for the man as the girl raised a sculpted brow, the annoyance on her face contorting to bitterness. Rumlow didn't give her time to respond before speaking again.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Rumlow watched as the girl looked down, as if preparing herself. Her shoulders bobbed as she sighed, planting her hands on her hips before looking up, her smugness now mirroring Rumlow's own.

"Captain," she said.

"Oh, you don't gotta call me captain," Rumlow chuckled at his own joke. "Unless you're into that."

"As tempting as that offer is," the girl spoke, voice now low and dangerous. "I wasn't calling you captain. I'm _your_ captain."

There was a beat of silence.

"Fall in!" the girl barked.

Bucky, along with all the other men in the group scrambled into line, hearing the authority in her voice and reacting to it as they had been trained. Even Rumlow backpedaled into get into line, but it didn't quite stop him from speaking out.

"I thought we had Captain Rogers!" he cried, hearing murmurs among the men who thought the same thing.

"You do," the girl said, crossing her arms behind her back and pacing up and down the line of men. She stopped before Rumlow, corners of her lips pointed up. "Captain Ella Rogers. It's great to meet _almost_ all of you," she said, looking pointedly at Rumlow.

Bucky, from beside the man, tried unsuccessfully to hide a snort. This got the girl's, Ella's, attention on him. He quickly masked his face to stoic as she stepped before him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Barnes, ma'am," he answered evenly. Did he call her ma'am? Did she still expect sir, or would she be offended by that? Bucky lost his train of thought as he took the chance to properly study the girl. She had bright and clear blue eyes, her skin lightly sun kissed from the training outdoors. Still, there was a strange expression on her face. It wasn't the distaste he looked at Rumlow with, nor was it indifference. If Bucky had to guess, he would say it was interest. Why was she interested with him? It both frightened at excited him, because she was a very pretty girl, even if he shouldn't be thinking about his superiors like that.

"Well, Barnes," she spoke softly. "Please try not to follow the footstep of your friend here,"

Bucky wanted to say that Rumlow wasn't really his friend, more like an acquaintance. In fact, after hearing more than twenty words out of his mouth, he really didn't like him. He was arrogant. Instead Bucky gave a firm nod. "Yes ma'am."

Her gaze then snapped to the man beside Bucky.

"Wilson, I'm putting you on babysitting duty until these two can make up for the lateness."

"Yes ma'am," Wilson said.

Ella took a few steps back from the company of men. "Start out with ten laps, then we'll get into the hard stuff."

There was a resounding cry of _yes ma'am,_ which seemed to be what the whole group unanimously agreed on, before they began to run.

Bucky felt eyes on him. He risked one last glance over his shoulder, seeing Ella with her perfect posture that had been drilled into her from training, watching him with slightly narrowed eyes. He quickly looked away, lest he meet her gaze, even though some part of him wanted to. Still, he knew he shouldn't even start to think like that. He shook his head and focused on running, ignoring Rumlow's pissed off grumbling.

Ella cocked her head to the side as she watched her group of recruits run off. She let out a breath of relief, glad the hard part was over. She expected question, but not insulting flirting. Her brother was the Captain they all expected, not her. Still, she had the same qualifications. She had worked just as hard, if not harder, to struggle up to this position. The respect for her authority was the thing Ella feared with most with the new group.

And then there was that one man, Barnes, who had caught her eye. Ella knew there was plenty of attractive men around the base, but this one made her look a bit longer. There was something in his eyes, bright and playful, that caught her attention. Ella pursed her lips and scolded herself. She couldn't let herself continue with any thoughts like those.

"How was the meeting?" someone called to her.

Ella looked over her shoulder, seeing another woman walking towards her, Peggy Carter. She outranked Ella, but treated her like an equal, mostly because she knew what the young woman was going through.

Ella rolled her eyes.

"That bad, huh?" Peggy laughed. "Any flirts?"

"Of course," Ella told her with exasperation.

"Surprised you weren't your brother?"

"Very."

Peggy had expected all of this to happen anyways, telling Ella about it in hopes of preparing her, which she supposed she did. She was sure Ella was able to handle herself.

"How'd they look?" Peggy asked, peering out into the field where a group of recruits were training.

"Like they needed work," Ella sighed.

"Any of them any cute?"

"Peggy!" Ella cried in surprise and embarrassment, turning towards the woman with a questioning look on her face.

Peggy laughed at her dramatic reaction. "What? When I trained your brother, I thought he was cute."

"Even before he bulked up?" Ella rose a brow, remembering a time when she was bigger than her older brother. Somehow, the army really helped him improve his health. It seemed almost impossible, but it happened.

"Different kind of cute," Peggy shrugged. "But you didn't answer my question. Don't worry about anything, this is just some girl talk."

Ella shook her head firmly. "Nope. Not my type."

Peggy narrowed her eyes at Ella, who wouldn't meet her gaze. She noticed that her cheeks were a bit redder than normal. "Liar,"

Ella's head swiveled towards her. "No I'm not!"

She was. Ella felt herself flushing deeper. Peggy had a built in lie detector, and could always call Ella out on any bullshit, or anyone really. There was no point in even trying to fib around her.

"Yes you are," Peggy insisted, looking proud of herself. "But I won't pry. I'll just have to watch you for five minutes with them and I'll be able to tell which one you think is cute."

"How could you possibly know?" Ella asked.

"Well," Peggy began. "My first guess is that you would act tough, be extra hard on him, and try to ignore his existence."

Ella jutted out her jaw and stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.

Peggy rolled her eyes, looking just passed Ella as a familiar, broad figure strolled towards them. She grinned widely.

"Hey there," she called.

Ella looked over her shoulder as her brother came upon them. She sent him a tight-lipped smile in greeting.

Steve came up to Peggy first, wrapping a hand around her shoulder and kissing her forehead fondly. They had been together for a couple months now, after a painfully long time of obvious longing that drove Ella up the wall. She practically shoved them together into a room once, just to stop the awful tension.

"How was the first day?" her brother asked her.

"Fine," Ella said shortly.

"She had a bit of trouble with one guy," Peggy mumbled, ratting her out.

Steve's expression grew darker. "Do you need me to deal with it?"

"No!" Ella said, thoroughly annoyed. "I handled it."

What kind of leader would she look like if she dragged in her brother, with his imposing size and loud voice, to fight her battles for her? She already had to struggle enough to claw her way out from under his shadow, to make her own name, her own authority, which wasn't easy. People would take one look at her and already believed she wouldn't be anything special, which at first made her seethe, but Ella later learned how to use it to her advantage. It was helpful during sparring sessions, knowing they were underestimating her, which allowed her to come out strong.

Steve shook his head softly at his sister's defensive attitude.

When she followed him to basic training, Steve was almost unsurprised. She had always wanted to do whatever he did since they were children. However, he expected her to go home after the first week, the training being too hard. To Steve's surprise and slight dismay, she enjoyed the challenge and excelled at her training. The only reason Steve wasn't filled with pride at his sister's achievements was that the better she did, the more dangerous missions would become for her. He didn't want her hurt.

"I guess I should go make sure they're not skipping any laps," Ella told the pair before making her way towards the track.

"You think she can handle it?" Steve asked Peggy.

She nodded firmly. "I have complete faith."

…

Bucky was absolutely positive that Ella Rogers hated him.

This revelation came to his as his arms burned from the pushups she was making him do.

Was it because of how he showed up late on the first day? Because Rumlow still continued to speak to him as a friend? Bucky couldn't think of any reason. He excelled in the skills they were learning, he was always respectful, he gave it his all… so why was it that she always looked so angry at him? What happened to that curiosity from the first day?

"All right, that's enough."

A few men collapsed onto the ground in a heap, arms giving out. Bucky chuckled at Sam Wilson beside him, who was face down in the dirt, face glazed with sweat. He had become quick friends with the man.

Bucky pushed himself off the ground, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand as he stared at Ella. She wore a white shirt that looked a little too large for her, which her tucked into her pants neatly. Her dog tags glimmered in the afternoon sun as she looked over the group of men.

 _Why does she have to be so god damn pretty?_ Bucky thought to himself. Maybe he could've brought himself to despise the girl if she didn't look so lovely all the time. She must blow men away when she smiled, not the Bucky ever really got to see that.

"That's it for today," she announced. "And I know tonight's your night off, but don't expect me to go easy if you show up with a hangover tomorrow. You're dismissed."

A night off. They didn't get those a lot and most of the men had already made big plans for the night, Bucky included. He and Sam were planning on heading to a club not too far from the base. He expected a lot of the recruits were going to show up there, it was a hotspot.

But, before Bucky left, he had something he had to do.

"You coming?" Sam asked.

"I'll catch up in a bit," Bucky assured him.

Sam nodded, not asking him yet what he was planning on doing, but would later.

Bucky swallowed hard and took a few steps until he stood a few feet behind his captain, waiting to speak, arms crossed behind his back respectfully.

Ella noted a presence behind her, and was surprised to find Barnes waiting patiently for her. Ella's brows furrowed, wondering what he could possibly want.

"What are you still doing here, James?"

He shifted his weight slightly, looking almost frightened to meet her eyes. "May I ask a question, ma'am?"

Ella's eyes furrowed but she nodded.

Bucky licked his lips before speaking. "Do you hate me, ma'am?"

Ella blanched, blinking in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Bucky was suddenly alarmed, thinking he had perhaps offended her without knowing. "It's- it's just that you're always harder on me and-"

"I don't hate you, James."

"Bucky,"

"Huh?"

Bucky could have laughed, catching the girl in a moment of slight confusion. Gone was the normal icy exterior that she put up, instead her face being emotive and almost adorably confused.

"Bucky," he repeated. "That's what they call me. Never really liked James."

Ella nodded slowly. "Well, I don't hate you… Bucky. You have potential. Sometimes… people just need to get an extra push to get it to show."

Ella could have beat herself up. Peggy's words had rung true, she had done exactly what the woman had predicted, acting tough, being hard on him. Ella hadn't even noticed that she was doing it.

"Oh… okay, ma'am." He said slowly.

"Your friends are over there," she said. "Don't keep them waiting."

Bucky was surprised when she sent him a small smile, not with any flashing teeth, but enough to show that she had a dimple on her right cheek. It was more than Bucky was expecting.

He gave a single nod before leaving, feeling a little bit better than he was before.

Ella watched his retreating figure for a heartbeat longer before turning and heading her own way. She didn't make it very far before she was intercepted by Peggy, who seemingly came out of nowhere.

"I saw that!" she all but sang.

"Saw what?" Ella asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know what," Peggy said. Ella didn't respond, simply tightening her ponytail and staring dead ahead. Peggy rolled her eyes. "You coming out tonight? Me and Romanoff are going out. You could use it,"

Ella thought for a moment before nodding. "I'll go, I could use a night off."

…

The day faded into night and the troops took full advantage of this rare freedom.

Bucky followed some of his comrades into the closest city, where the club they spoke about was located. He was with Sam and a few others, and was able to hear and feel the pounding of the base before he could see it. They waited in line briefly, Sam joking that he shouldn't get too wasted because the Captain wasn't going to be easy. Bucky didn't give any hints about the short conversation they had earlier.

They eventually got let in, surrounded by pulsing bass and flashing lights that was pleasantly overwhelming. Bucky always enjoyed this scene, feeling a strange sense of being social while being completely isolated. If he wanted, he could have everyone's eyes on him in an instant, if he didn't, it was as if he didn't exist.

"I bet this was your scene," Sam laughed, slapping Bucky on the shoulder. "Before enlistment, always picking up the girls,"

Bucky couldn't deny that he was right. He was a major flirt, even if he'd turned it down a bit since joining the army and learning a bit of self-control.

"It was," he said.

"Mine too," pipped Pietro, a quick little bastard from another company who joined Sam and Bucky.

First thing they did was get a couple drinks, hanging around the bar and observing the scene around them as they drank. Pietro wasted no time before chasing down a girl or two, buying them drinks. Bucky thought that if he kept going on like that, he would be broke by the end of the night.

"No way," Sam mumbled, slapping Bucky on the shoulder and pointing out into the dancefloor. "Look who's here,"

Bucky's gaze followed his finger until it landed on a figure. His eyes bulged as he took in Ella, long hair down, carefree smile on her face, donning a short, black dress, and dancing with whoever came along, drink in her hand. Bucky couldn't believe how much younger she looked, even though he knew she was younger than him. His theory had been correct, she was a total knock out when she smiled.

She was in the same vicinity as two other captains from the base, both female. A curvy brunette and a striking red-head.

"Wow," Sam said. "She always looked so uptight. Didn't think she could smile… or dance."

And she could dance, in an open and attractive way that drew people towards her. She danced with some for a bit, he noticed, but usually ended up slipping away to go to her friends.

"Holy shit," Pietro said, appearing beside the two again. "There's no way that's Captain Rogers,"

"It is," Sam said. He looked to his left at Bucky, who hadn't torn his gaze away from the girl since he noticed her. Sam could recognize that look, seeing how infatuated the man was with her. It was almost comical. "Bet you won't go dance with her,"

"Bet I won't either," Bucky snorted, still watching. "I value my life,"

"I dare you," Pietro taunted him further. "Or, do you not have the balls?"

Bucky, pride slightly wounded, looked at him sourly. He really couldn't back down from a challenge or a dare, one of his flaws. So, he clenched his jaw, placed his drink down on the bar and stood, hearing his comrades whoop and laugh, wondering if they were about to see him get decked on the dance floor. They leaned forwards in their bar stools as their friend was swallowed by the crowd.

Bucky weaved through dancing bodies until he reached his destination. There was already a man dancing with her, hands on her hips. He was a little too much to drink, which made him easy to nudge to the side, watching him stumble around the find the next girl. Bucky took his place.

At first, Ella didn't even seem to notice anyone new was there, with her back to him, she had no idea who she was dancing with. Bucky enjoyed it while it lasted, taking in every detail. Gone was the rigid posture that she had once held herself with, replaced instead with sinewy arms and willow-like movements. Her hips moved to the beat of the music, and for a moment, he allowed himself to forget who they were. For a heartbeat, we wasn't dancing with someone he knew was wrong, instead, he was just a guy dancing with a pretty girl, and his friends weren't snickering over at the bar, placing bets on how much longer it would take until he was knocked off his feet.

Ella was enjoying herself greatly. After a tough week, going out and a letting lose was just what she needed. After a few drinks and a night of dancing, Ella had forgotten about all of her cares.

Although she had to deal with a handful of shitty flirters and even worse dancers, it was alright after a while. After all, she was with Peggy and Natasha, both of which shared her frustration of the male dominated place where they worked.

After a handful of disappointing dance partners, there was finally one who had some rhythm. Ella smiled in pleasant surprise, taking a sip from her drink. She fell into a steady rhythm with the man, moving in synchrony.

"Hey," Ella said over the pounding of the bass. "You're pretty good at this!"

"Thanks,"

Ella peeked over her shoulder to see who it was, maybe send a flirty grin, but all those plans went flying out the window. Her blood froze in her veins, then rushed up to her cheeks. She instantly stopped swaying, but was vividly aware of two hands still planted on her hips. The man dancing with her was Bucky Barnes.

Ella's lips parted, shaking her head slowly. "Oh, hell no."

She slipped away from him, trying to get through the crowd.

Bucky, not using his head, followed after her automatically. "Ella- er, ma'am- uh, Captain Rogers, wait!"

Either she didn't hear him, or she was ignoring him. She nearly slammed her drink on the counter, marching out the back door. Bucky was so close behind, the door didn't even have time to shut before he was pushing it out of the way.

He found the girl pacing, face in her palms, in the dark alley beside the club, hanging her head in her hands. Bucky measured his next words very carefully, finally deciding that at this moment, she didn't seem to be in the mood to be called captain.

"Ella, I'm sorry-" he began.

"What are you thinking?!" she groaned in frustration, whipping towards him so quickly that it startled Bucky.

"Well, you were a good dancer and it looked like fun…" he began, trailing off at his own lame reasoning.

"That was _so_ inappropriate!" she said, eyes wide.

There was something in her tone that told Bucky she had been drinking, from the explosive emotion that wasn't just anger, to the way her words slurred together slightly. Bucky watched cautiously as she continued to rant.

"We are so lucky Peggy didn't see us, she would have given me shit for the rest of my life because she knows I think you're cute and-" the girl gasped loudly and slapped a hand over her mouth.

It took Bucky a heartbeat to comprehend what she said. When it finally sank in, a sense of pride filled up, a satisfied smirk on his lips. He took a step closer. "You think I'm cute?"

Ella cursed that extra drink and her treacherous tongue. Her eyes fluttered shut as her cheeks flamed, accepted defeat.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you're pretty cute too."

Ella inhaled deeply, feeling her face heat even more. She tugged her fingers through her hair. "I… I appreciate that," she said, trying to work out the best way to say this even with her fuzzy mind. "But… you know that this is highly inappropriate."

Bucky shrugged. "I'm patient. I can wait awhile."

Ella couldn't stop a short laugh from escaping her lips. "Sure you can," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "As if you don't have girls lining up to go out with you."

"And you don't have guys following you around everywhere?" Bucky asked, making a face. "The other captains follow you around like puppies."

Ella scoffed and rolled her eyes. She noticed them. "I'll keep that offer in mind, Bucky… but I really should be getting inside before they notice I'm gone."

Bucky couldn't stop the slight disappointment that filled him as she turned her back towards him. Still, she managed to be surprising, pausing at the door and turning over her shoulder.

"For what it's worth, you're a pretty good dancer." She sent him a larger smile, flashing her dimples in a way that seemed to light up the whole alleyway. "But tomorrow… it's Captain. Don't forget."

Bucky beamed. "Wouldn't dream of it,"

…

When Ella returned, she managed to play off her disappearance as a quick trip to the bathroom, but she noticed the other recruits who must have been with Bucky sitting at the bar. Her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing dangerously at them, sending a non-verbal warning. They instantly paled and diverted their gazes.

She found herself unable to dance with anyone else that night, and unable to keep her eyes from wandering around the club in search of a head of dark hair. She found him a few times, still over with his friends. He met her gaze once and sent a smile, to which Ella found herself unconsciously returning.

It was past midnight when the group of women headed back.

"You're so flushed," Natasha pointed out, noting Ella's ruddy cheeks. "Are you sure you went to the bathroom and not out with someone?" she implied suggestively.

"No!" Ella shot back, perhaps a bit too fast. "It was hot in there."

Peggy and Natasha met each other's gazes, neither of them buying the story. Peggy's attention was drawn by the sound of loud laughing behind them as another group stumbled out of the club. Her eyes quickly scanned their familiar faces, realizing it was some recruits, one of them being James Barnes. Peggy's lips parted in realization, hardly noticing Bucky's eyes linger on Ella a moment before turning back to his friends.

Natasha raised a brow at Peggy, who mouthed _I'll explain later_ to her, knowing she was unaware of the situation that she loved to tease Ella about.

Ella, though slightly embarrassed, couldn't keep a dopey smile off her lips.

…

There was a change in atmosphere after that night. Ella no longer seemed as strict with the men, growing more comfortable around them, learning that they respected her authority. She was more prone to smile, to tease, and she wasn't as hard on Bucky. Sure, she pushed him more than the others, but he no longer believed that she loathed him.

He had improved greatly, becoming, perhaps, one of the strongest, smartest, and most valuble recruits Ella had ever seen. Wilson was up there too, and so was Rumlow… but Ella felt that there was something off about that man. The hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up whenever he wandered by.

Bucky mostly admired Ella from the distance, speaking to her privately only a few times a week, if he was lucky. She kept herself professional, but there would be small cracks in her façade every once in a while that told him she was still interested. He hadn't made any advances, save for once leaving a flower for her, which he was sure she knew was from him, given the way she looked at him the next day… a strange mix of thanks and warning. All he would have to do was work his way up until he was on the same level as her.

Strangely enough, he had never seen her skills. They had been there a couple months already and were nearing the end of training, and he had never once seen her fire a gun or spar with someone. Surely, she must be good at what she does for her to have her position of power… he wondered what she was capable of, what she was a part of.

It was their final week of training. Ella stood off to the side, arms crossed over her chest as watched over their conditioning. Secretly, she was watching Bucky's shoulders as he did pushups, but she was positive she was being discrete.

"Ella!"

She turned over her shoulder as her brother jogged up to her, a somber look on his face. Her face fell slightly, turning towards him.

"Fury wants to see us."

Ella's heart skipped a beat, fearing what the highest ranking general on the base wanted from her. She gave a stiff nod, turning towards the men and mustering some authority into her tone.

"Barnes, make sure you all finish the reps. If you don't, I'll know."

"Yes ma'am!" he called, trying to dilute his curiosity and focus and getting the exercise done.

…

Ella came back a little over an hour later, worry etched in the lines on her face. Bucky didn't say anything, no one did, but he could see their question.

She didn't wait around after the day had ended, disappearing the moment she dismissed them. Bucky wondered if she was upset about anything.

Bucky didn't have much time to wonder. Just after he cleaned up, sitting around with Sam and a couple other of his friends, there was an unexpected presence in their hall.

There was a knock on the door. A couple men wrapped only in towels cursed and hid. Bucky looked up, seeing Ella standing in the door way, unfazed.

"Barnes, Wilson," she spoke, jerking her head outside. "With me."

Bucky met Sam's eyes, seeing that he was just as clueless as he was. Still, they didn't hesitate, springing off the bed and briskly walking towards where Ella just stood.

"May I ask a question, Captain?" Sam asked.

"I'm not your captain anymore," she spoke softly.

Bucky blinked once, wondering what she meant. Was she fired? Were they kicked out? He felt nauseous.

"Save your questions. Fury will explain."

Fury?! What on earth did Fury need them for? He met Ella's eyes, seeing emotions he couldn't quite decifer in their blue depths. He swallowed hard and continued walking, Fury's office looming in the distance like a forboding monster.

It seemed deathly quiet as they entered the building, the only sound being their boots on the wooden floors. Ella led them through the halls, towards a beacon of yellow light. She took a deep breath before entering, the two men following behind.

There was a small group of people in the room. Steve Rogers stood tall, peering over maps with Fury, Carter and Romanoff spoke in soft voices, Pietro stood off to the side, looking as confused as the other men were. His twin sister, Wanda, was beside him.

There was Stark and Banner, from what Bucky knew, the brains on the base. Another tall Captain, named Thor, spoke with the sharp shooter Barton.

These were all legends around the base, the best of the best. Bucky didn't know what he was doing here.

Fury looked up, nodding at Ella. "Now that we are all here," he drawled out slowly. "Let's get down to business."

Sam shifted next to Bucky, nervous.

Fury looked towards the four new recruits; Bucky, Wanda, Pietro, Sam. "I'm sure you four have questions, so let me begin," he placed her hands on the table in front of him. "I'm sure you look at these people around you and see your captains and your leaders… which they are. They're also special ops, a very covert and talented group of individuals. They run missions quietly when I need them to."

Bucky looked at Ella, wondering was her capabilities were to get into such a group.

"Why are we here, sir?" Sam asked.

"I asked these Captains to bring in people who had potential, who could help us because we have a mission that needs more man power."

Bucky blinked. Ella had told him he had potential, but never expected it would go this far. Special ops? He never would have expected it.

"What's the mission, sir?" Pietro asked.

"Sabotage." Fury explained. "A huge weapons base has opened up overseas. It's pumping out guns and bombs that are taking innocent lives. We needed a few extra hands on deck, due to the size of it." he sent a smile at the group of new recruits. "You've all been promoted… that is, if you chose to join. I won't sugar coat it… it will be dangerous. Any objections?"

There was silence.

Fury bobbed his head. "That settles it. Tomorrow, you'll go with the rest of the team to a discrete location where you will complete your training. Pack your things."

He looked up to the four recruits, what could have been seen as a smile on his lips.

"Welcome to the Avengers."

…

They filed out of the small office, Steve hanging around to speak with Fury. Bucky found himself looking past Sam at Ella as she turned heel and headed out of the office. He was sure that Sam tried to call him back, but he barely heard him, going after the girl into the night.

"Ella!"

She turned, brows furrowed upon seeing him. "I thought you would be with your friends,"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said.

"About what?"

Bucky licked his lips, taking another step closer. "Why me?"

"Well… because you're good at what you do," she spoke, but there was something in her voice, questioning, regret almost.

"You don't think I can do it?" Bucky asked.

Ella shook her head vigorously. "No, I know you can… I'm just scared that I brought you into danger."

Bucky saw the earnest look on her face, that she actually feared for his well-being. So, he scoffed and shrugged, taking a bit of a risk and taking her hand into his own. "I can handle it,"

Her eyes flickered down to where he was intertwining their hands. "What are you doing?"

"Well, like you said, you're not my captain anymore. We're on the same level," he smiled proudly.

Ella felt her cheeks heat up, thankful that they were under the cover of night. She still couldn't prevent a smile from creeping on her lips. "It hasn't even been fifteen minutes," she chuckled, gnawing on her bottom lip. "But, let's just take this a bit slower, okay?"

Bucky nodded slowly, expecting an answer along these lines. "Alright," he squeezed her hand before letting it go, walking away slowly with a grin. "I'll see you tomorrow, captain."

"Call me Ella,"

A rush of glee filled him. "Ella," he tested saying the name, feeling it roll of his tongue pleasantly. "I look forward to working with you!"

She laughed, a sweet, bell-like sound. "Go get some rest, Bucky."

"Yes ma'am!"

…

Bright and early wouldn't exactly describe what time they awoke, more like dark and miserable. Just when the clock struck five in the morning, he and Sam were up and dragging their bags discretely through their cabin, as to not disturb any of their comrades and create uncomfortable and unanswerable questions.

Pietro and his sister were already there, waiting by a line of dark and inconspicuous cars. His sister, Wanda, wasn't a fighter. She was a strategist, a good one at that. She planned out attacks better than anyone, moving around battalions and tanks, mind practically seeing the battle before it even happens.

They all greeted each other and shrugged their bags into one of the cars.

"You ready for this?" Sam asked.

"You better be,"

All of their eyes snapped to the right, where Steve Rogers came towards them, followed by the rest of his team, all hauling various supplies over their shoulders. Bucky's eyes immediately skipped past the looming and broad figure of Thor to Ella. She was dressed quite plainly in dark clothes, hair tied up in a thick braid. She tossed something that looked a lot like a rifle into the back of a car. He briefly wondered how a girl like her ended up amongst the intimidating men, and women, in this team.

"One last chance to back out," chimed in Stark, who was typing into his phone rapidly, without bothering to look up.

Again, no objections.

Steve, obviously the leader of the team by the way he held himself and spoke, nodded. Peggy came up beside him, looking out at the small group at new recruits.

"Load up, then."

There were three cars, each with five seats. With twelve people, they would fill up two cars with a remainder of two people in the third. Bucky expected to be one of the unlucky people shoved in the middle in the back seat, but was surprised when Peggy called out his name.

"Barnes, Ella, you two take the last on and trail us."

Judging by Ella's look of surprise, she wasn't expecting this either. Her brows furrowed, expression matching her brother's, who looked at the woman in question.

"I'll explain later," she assured Steve quietly, patting his arm while feeling quite smug with herself.

Ella slowly turned towards Bucky, hardly surprised to see a cheeky smirk donning his face.

"Want me to drive?" he asked.

Ella tossed him the keys. "Be my guest."

Before Ella crawled into the car, she sent one last glance over her shoulder, spotting Peggy looking over in their direction with a mischievous smirk on her face. Peggy sent her a thumbs up, to which Ella simply narrowed her eyes, plopping into the car seat and closing the door a bit harder than needed.

Bucky got into the car next, starting the engine and shutting the door. It was a nice car, probably pretty fast. He looked to Ella.

"You sure you don't want to drive?" he asked one last time.

"I don't like driving," she admitted.

"Then how do you get around?"

"I have a motorcycle."

Bucky's brows crawled up his forehead, looking at the slight girl in surprise, no having pegged her as a motorcycle type of girl. "You have a motorcycle? I didn't know that,"

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," she said in a playful tone.

Bucky smiled as the cars in front of them jerked to a start, pressing down on the gas and jolting forward. "Well, I know that I have an hour and change alone with a pretty girl. I hope to learn a few more things about you."

Ella crossed her arms over her chest and settled into her seat. "Maybe you will,"

…

After the first five minutes of awkward silence, Ella jabbed a button on the dash and turned on the radio, hoping something would relieve them of the stifling silence. The melodic tunes seemed to do the trick, Ella propping her feet up on the dash and staring out the window as lush greenery flew by.

Bucky didn't mind the familiar pop songs playing over the station, but he was surprised when something new sounded. Ella, beside him, was singing along to the music softly. It wasn't a sound he expected from the tough, commanding woman who helped train him.

"You have a nice voice," he commented.

Ella instantly flushed. She never really noticed when she began humming along, it was a habit she developed when she was younger, to get through mind-numbingly boring days when her mother made her help around the house, cleaning and cooking. Still, years later, Ella found herself still singing.

"Thanks," she replied quietly.

Bucky drummed his thumbs on the wheel, willing himself to think of something to say. "So, how did you end up in the army?"

Ella was used to this question, she had been asked it countless time by countless people.

"Well, it wasn't what I imagined myself doing as a kid," she said. "Steve, on the other hand, that's all he wanted to be. A soldier… but he was so small as a kid, you should have seen him," she chuckled fondly at the memory. "But, as the younger sister, I wanted to follow my brother everywhere. When our mother died, Steve was strong enough to enlist, and, out of fear of being alone, I did too. Turned out I was pretty good."

Bucky nodded thoughtfully, absorbing this information.

"What about you?" Ella asked. "Why did you join?"

Bucky exhaled deeply and shrugged. "I wish I could say it was for a noble reason, but really, it was because I didn't really know where to go with my life… I figured the army would be a good place until I figured everything out,"

"If it's any consolation, you're good at this stuff,"

"If someone had told me a month or so ago that Captain Rogers gave _me_ a compliment, I would have told them they're crazy," Bucky said.

Ella laughed, digging the point of her elbow into his arm lightly.

"Although, I'm sure you were giving me many compliments mentally," Bucky continued to tease.

Ella rolled her eyes, preparing herself for the onslaught of teasing and quips she was going to both receive and give on the rest of this car ride.

…

The hour went by surprisingly fast. It was filled with pleasant small talk, getting to know one another better, the topics ranging from favorite movie to worst date they had been on, which left them both laughing at the misfortunes of the other.

The final road to get to their destination was deserted, the road looking as though only about six cars a year drove over it. They were surrounded by towering trees providing a private cover. Bucky knew this was a covert team, but didn't expect to be in the middle of nowhere.

They reached a small opening. In it sat a large, dull, gray building. It didn't seem like anything special from the outside, which, Bucky figured, they did on purpose.

The car rolled to a stop and Bucky put the car in park.

"Hope you're ready," Ella breathed, unclicking the seat. She looked at him with a brow playfully raised. "If you thought what we did before was hard, you have no idea what's coming."

"Well, I like a challenge,"

"So I figured,"

The pair got out of the car, meeting up with the rest of the group as they stretched after the lengthy car ride. Steve met Ella's eye, nodding.

"Ella, do me a favor and show the new guys around. We'll be in the board room,"

Bucky swore he saw a flash of irritation on her face, but she banished it with a forced smile. "Sure,"

She turned to the four new recruits, nodding her head towards the cars. "Grab you things, I'll show you to your rooms."

They followed her request as if it were an order, nearly forgetting that she wasn't their superior anymore. They snatched up their bags, following Ella as she motioned for them.

"So, there's trials all around the base," Ella explained as she walked. "If you want to run, but please try not to get lost. Took us hours to find Stark,"

They sniggered behind her.

They walked into the building, being met by a blast of cold air.

"Kitchen to the left, media room to the right," Ella continued, pointing.

"Clint said there's an xbox," Pietro pipped up.

Ella scoffed and nodded. "There is, not that you'll have a lot of free time… and good luck getting Clint away from it."

"Bet I could beat him," Pietro taunted.

"You probably couldn't even beat Romanoff,"

Bucky hid his laugh behind his hand.

They continued along a straight path until they reached a long corridor, with dark gray door lining the walls. Most of them had the names of the team marked on them, there were a few unmarked.

"Any empty room is up for grabs," Ella told them.

"So, they're not separated?" Sam asked. "You know, guys and girls?"

Ella turned towards them, crossing her arms over her chest. "No. I trust all these guys because they are all _mature adults,"_ she stressed those last words. "And here's a piece of warning in case you have any ideas… Stark tried to peek in on Romanoff one time, spent the next week with two black eyes and a limp, but not from his leg if you get what I mean."

There were some laughs.

"If you try anything with Carter, you'll have to deal with her _and_ my brother," she continued. "And if you try anything with me," her eyes lingered on Bucky a moment longer, both playful and warning. "You just don't want to try anything with me. Understood?"

The men nodded, and Wanda laughed, hiding it behind her hand.

They all spread to their rooms, Ella only getting a few steps towards hers before she was stopped by Bucky grabbing her wrist.

She raised a brow. "What, lost already?"

Bucky smirked. "Not yet… let me carry your bag?"

She only hesitated a moment before holding out her simple bag. "What a gentleman."

She paused outside her room, name printed neatly on a small plaque to the right of it. She opened the door, flickering on the lights and allowing Bucky a glimpse into her space.

It was hardly decorated with few touches of anything personal. It was all a dull shade of dark gray, a single lamp to illuminate the corners. Bucky glanced around, seeing a few frames with photos in them. He walked around slowly as Ella unloaded her stuff, gazing at the photos.

The first one was of her and her brother, both children, with grins almost too wide for their young faces. It was charming, really. There was another of Ella and a friend, both caught in laughter. She couldn't have been older than sixteen. It was sweet to see her in a context that wasn't the seriousness that the army instilled in her.

The last picture was of Ella and a man he didn't recognize. He had his lips pressed against her forehead, she looked content. Bucky felt his stomach dropped, suddenly realizing that perhaps she wasn't single.

"We're not together," Ella spoke behind him, giving him a start. "If that's what you're wondering,"

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's a relief," he said. "Bad breakup?"

Ella's eyes flickered down as she shook her head. "No… it's just…" it took her a while to figure out how to phrase it. "Before I was on this team, he was. Really good at what he did, confident, borderline cocky… kinda drew me to him at first."

Bucky was aware he was like that at times.

"He helped me out when I first joined the army, help me keep pace with the bigger guys," she continued. "And one day, he went out on a mission and he just… didn't come back. I was a real mess after it happened, and I just worked hard, got better, and took his spot."

"I'm sorry," Bucky said.

"It's okay, it's not your fault," she said.

Bucky looked down, unsure about where to go from that conversation.

"You should get settled in," Ella said softly. "Your room's to the right. I'll help."

They wandered out of her room, Ella shutting the door behind them.

"So," Bucky said, shoving a hand in his pocket. "You seemed a bit ticked off when your brother said to take us to our rooms. Are we that bad?"

Ella let out a short laugh and shook her head. "No, of course not." They opened the door to Bucky's room, revealing the blank, gray space. "It's just that…" Ella paused, looking up and trying to find a way to word how she felt. "I have the same qualifications as the rest of them, I worked just as hard to get where I am, and Steve… he just won't see me like that."

"Is it because you're his younger sister?"

Ella nodded. "Probably, but it doesn't make it any less infuriating. He's afraid that the same thing that happened to the man I told you about will happen to me."

"It's a rational fear,"

"I know," Ella said. "But I can take care of myself."

"I bet you can,"

She looked to the man, her lips quirked up in a small smile. "Well, I'll let you get settled. Dinners at six and tomorrow, the hard part begins."

…

Dinner at the compound was a group effort. Everyone tries to pitch in, to help make something to sustain the large group of people. It was chaotic, the more senior members knowing their way one another, the newer members crashing into others.

It was strange for the new members to see the people who they had looked up to in such a normal setting, joking and drinking. Bucky and the others sat around and listened to the conversation.

Bucky sat next to Sam, just observing the group. Bucky had a hard time taking his eyes off Ella, seeing her leaned back, cracking open another bottle of beer.

"Are you sure you're not going to wake up with a hangover?" Sam asked. "That's your forth bottle and you're not that big,"

"Listen," said Stark from the couch. "Since you're new here, you probably don't know that those two," he pointed at Ella and Steve. "Have the highest alcohol tolerance I have ever seen. Something in that Rogers blood."

"Irish," Peggy told them.

"You should hear their accents," Romanoff said.

"But they don't have accents," Wanda said, brows furrowed.

"Don't we?" Ella piped up, voice suddenly dipped in an Irish brogue. "This is how we learned to speak,"

"Our mom came straight from Ireland." Steve said. "Spoke with an accent at home, both of us picked up on it."

Ella nodded, taking a long drought from her bottle. "One day, she decided it was bad for us, that if we spoke like that, we wouldn't fit in here in America. So, she started speaking in an American accent, and if we spoke in an Irish accent, we would get in trouble. So, the accents kinda went away… but you never forget the first way you learn to speak."

"That's why Stark is always whining," Barton quipped.

There were resounding laughs from all around. Bucky had a smile on his face, knowing that he would like it around here.

…

The next morning was an early start, the compound bustling even before the sun was entirely up. They all scarfed down a quick breakfast before they went their separate ways based on their specialties. Wanda went with Peggy to talk strategy, Stark and Banner went to go fiddle with the weaponry, and everyone else went on a run around the compound.

Bucky ran beside Ella, who pretended to ignore him. She kept good pace, sticking to the front of the group. When they finished, they separated into two groups. Ella was in a group with Thor, Barton, Sam and Bucky, and their first destination was the shooting range.

"Barton's the best shot we got," Ella explained. "I've never seen him miss. Gun, arrows, rubber bands-"

"Nerf guns," Clint added. "One time, we were playing a drinking game where if we got the sucker thing to stick to a beer can, whosever beer it as had to chug it,"

"You abused me that night," Ella murmured.

"And yet, you were barely buzzed," Thor said.

Sam laughed next to Bucky.

"Anyways," Ella said. "Barton can help you with your shots. He helped me,"

The next hour and a half was spent practicing their shots. Thor practiced with the new recruits, knowing that shooting wasn't his best subject. At first, Ella sat around and watched. Bucky was hyper aware of her presence behind him for a good while. He focused on his shot to make himself look good to impress the girl.

"Jesus Christ, Thor." Clint spoke after a while, looking at his target with bullet holes spread out randomly. "You can't shoot for shit. What happens when you run out of ammo from all your misses?"

"Throw the gun!"

Clint shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Come on, man. Ella's been here less than you and she's still a better shot. Come and demonstrate for this oaf."

Ella left her spot on the wall and took Thor's spot. She put on the headphones to block out the noise and loaded a small pistol. She held it up, eyes narrowed in concentration. Bucky and Sam stopped what they were doing and watched.

She shot about ten bullets in rapid succession, each one tearing a hole in the center of the target. When she was done, she placed the pistol down on the stand and slipped off her headphones.

"See," Clint said to Thor. "Why can't you be more like her?"

Bucky met Ella's gaze as Clint and Thor squabbled. He was impressed, finally seeing one of the reasons she was on this team.

"Quit gawking," Ella said after a few moments. "You won't be getting any better by staring,"

…

After the shooting, they moved outside for hand on hand combat. Thor would be taking the lead of this one, Ella would help, Clint would watch and practice. His fighting wasn't as good as his shot.

Thor knew that these two knew the basics and a bit beyond that. He wanted to assess their skill, see what they would be best suited for doing. Ella stood by and watched for a while, feeling as though she wasn't need at the time being. She watched Bucky, catching his eye every once in a while.

Thor relied heavily on strength and size, but not everyone was built like him. Ella moved faster than him, his swings were wide and arching, but stronger than anyone Ella knew. She didn't know if she would have a chance against him if she ever got in a fight with him.

"Barton, could you-?" Thor began, stopping when she found that Clint wasn't there.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Too scared to fight."

Thor shook his head. "Ella, I'll need you to do it then."

"Do what exactly?"

"Attack them. I need to see how they handle themselves,"

Bucky and Sam met each other's gaze, both slightly worried about what would come next.

"Fine," Ella said. "Sam, you wanna go first?"

"Not really," Sam said. "But I guess I am… but I don't wanna hurt you or anything."

Ella laughed. "Trust me, I'll be fine… and I guess you will be too."

Bucky saw Sam gulp as he took another step closer. Thor stood off to the side, arms folded over his broad chest, eyes skeptically observing Sam as Ella made the first move. She sent a quick jab towards Sam's face, which he was able to bat away. He was pretty pleases with himself for a heartbeat before there was a hand on his shoulder, shoving on his chest as his feet were knocked from underneath him and he fell on his back. Sam let out a small groan and looked up, seeing Ella standing over him, the light illuminating her golden hair in a halo around her head.

"Pitiful," Thor commented from the side. "Barnes, you're up,"

"Sorry about that," Ella said, giving Sam a hand up.

"No harm done… except to my pride." Sam said, turning to Bucky. "You're up, man. Good luck."

Bucky looked toward Ella, seeing a certain look in her eye that excited him. She stalked towards him, steps lithe and cat-like. His fingers clenched in nervousness as she took one more slow step towards him before springing into action. She attacked the same way she first attacked Sam, with a punch to the face. He was able to stop that, but she was so quick, almost describable as slippery. She slipped under his arm, and he knew that she was going to try and throw him. On instinct, he wrapped his arm around her throat, thinking he had gotten the upper hand, but wasn't prepared when she kicked her feet into the air, wrapped her hand around the back of his head, and used the momentum to throw them him over her shoulder. In the same movement, Ella rolled on him and pinned his arms over his head.

Bucky was aware of how close they were, she was leaning over him, face close to his own. She was breathing heavily, hair messy. Bucky could feel the heat of her body and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to kiss her.

"Better," Thor commented, breaking both of them out of their trance. "But still one of the worse I have ever seen,"

"He doesn't have much of a filter, does he?" Bucky asked, looking up at Ella.

"None," she said. Ella cringed slightly when she noticed she still had his wrists in a death grip. "Sorry,"

Ella got off him and helped the man off the grass.

"This is why I wanted Clint," Thor said. "You take them down too fast… and I still feel you were going easy on them,"

Ella flushed, but didn't admit anything, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I think they deserve a break. They've worked hard today, and we still have plenty of time before the mission."

Thor's head bobbed in agreement. "Fair enough."

Ella jerked her head to the compound. "Let's go,"

"You're gonna teach us some of those moves, right?" Sam asked.

"Either me or Nat. I learned almost everything from her."

"Why not Thor? I thought he was the fighting guy?"

Ella scoffed. "Do you see how big he is? I can't fight the way he does and survive. He relies on his size and muscle, both of which I don't have. The way Nat fights is much more useful for me."

They went inside and gathered around the kitchen. Stark, Banner, Peggy and Wanda were sitting around and snacking. Ella tossed water bottles to Bucky and Sam, who quenched the thirst they had worked up. They were done for the day.

Ella stood from the table and announced she was going to shower. Bucky hardly waited a beat before following after her. It didn't take long to catch up to her, falling in pace with her step.

"That was fast than I thought," Ella said. "I figured it would have taken a few more seconds before you caught up with me,"

"What can I say," Bucky shrugged. "I'm an overachiever."

Ella smiled at his joke as they came upon their rooms, pausing outside the door.

"Were you really going easy on us?" Bucky asked.

"Not too easy," Ella told him. "But… yes."

"And will you really show us some of those moves?"

"Sure, sometime."

"How about now?" Bucky said, before doing something bold, almost too bold. He wrapped his arms around her upper arms and backed her up against the wall, pressing himself against her. Bated breath, we read her expression, hoping he hadn't overstepped his boundaries… but there was no anger in the depths of her blue eyes, only a hazy look of want.

Ella leaned forward and presses her lips against his hard, eyes fluttering shut and finally releasing her inhibitions. Bucky closed his eyes, hands cradling the back of her head and pulling her closer. Ella's arms wrapped around the back of his neck, pressing up against him. It was an intoxicating moment, all of her senses boosted into overdrive, tasting his lips, smelling his skin, feeling his hands, hearing his breathing… she was entirely wrapped up in Bucky Barnes.

That was, until, footsteps echoed in the hall.

They pair instantly pulled apart, heads whipping into the direction of the sound only to find Peggy standing there, lips parted in surprise. All Ella could do was be thankful that it wasn't her brother.

"I'll just pretend that I didn't see that," Peggy announced, pointing in the direction she was planning on exiting. "Carry on,"

Ella's face burned as she leaned her head on Bucky's shoulder with a small laugh. She patted his chest and looked up. "I think I'm going to take that shower now… I'll see you later."

"I'm counting on it,"

…

They spent the next week preparing for their mission, training, planning, (And, in Ella and Bucky's case, sneaking kisses and stealing private moments whenever they could. Peggy hadn't told anyone yet).

The night before they headed out, the team sat around a table while Steve explained the plan and each person's role.

There were blueprints of the facility laid out on the table, eleven pairs of eyes following his fingers as he traced out their movements.

"We'll have Stark, Banner, Wanda, and Peggy on standby, watching and making sure everything is going to plan." He pointed to where they would be stationed. "The rest of us will split into two ground. Me, Pietro, Thor, and Nat will take the north side of the building. Ella, Clint, Bucky and Sam will take the south side. We have to take out the guards and lay the explosives that Stark and Banner have modified. Once we're out, we'll blow it and the job will be done. Clear?"

The group all nodded.

"Great," Steve said. "Let's get suited up."

…

An hour later, they were filing into a sleek jet. They all wore similar, thick, black body armor, complete with bullet proof vests and multiple holsters. Bucky watched as Ella finished assembling a long rifle. She was focused, face a smooth mask. She looked at him once, a strange look in her eyes, almost sad. What was she thinking? Bucky raked his mind for an answer.

Did she look at him and see the man she had lost? Was she fearing that she had dragged someone into a world of danger? Bucky didn't know for sure, but he believed it was something like that.

They loaded up into the jet, sitting down and preparing for the long ride.

They spent the time going through a long checklist, ensuring that everything was working properly so there would be no mishaps during the mission. If they were successful, they would be saving countless lives.

As they neared their destination, Steve made one last announcement.

"I want you all to be safe, remember everything that we've been over. We've worked together and I trust all of you, even the new ones… and I hope we all get through this so we can continue to work together."

From under the table, Bucky's hand wrapped around Ella's, squeezing to help comfort her… or perhaps himself. His stomach dropped as they began their decent.

From around the cabin of the plane, there was a chorus of _good luck's_ from one to another. Peggy kissed Steve on the cheek, Wanda told her brother to be careful, and Bucky looked to Ella, words lingering on his lips. He leaned in closer to her.

"Be safe,"

"I'll be okay," she said, looking up at him. "It's you I'm worried about,"

"I'll be okay," Bucky mimicked her wording. "I'll have you looking out for me,"

Ella smiled at him, discretely placing a hand on his knee in an attempt to provide whatever form of comfort she could.

"Clint," Steve called, drawing the man towards him, lowering his voice. "Watch out for Ella,"

"I always do,"

They landed a good mile away from the factory, they would get the rest of the way on foot. Ella loaded her rifle, clutching it tight in her hands, pausing by her brother's side.

"Please don't do anything stupid," she pleaded.

"I've heard that every mission I've gone on," he said.

"Well, you need to hear it every time,"

Steve laughed softly and nodded. "Alright… be safe."

"Always,"

They split into their teams, minds focused and ready, and they headed out into the night.

This wasn't what Bucky expected when he joined the army. He was expecting shared cramped and sweaty quarters with too many people, sweating in the pounding sun, dodging bombs and cowering behind whatever cover he could find… but he had exceeded his own expectations of what he could be. He never thought that he would find a girl like Ella, or that she would be at his side during a fight… but he was glad that this experience had taken such an unexpected turn.

He just hoped he would get through this mission to continue it.

They made a perimeter, looking out at the guards surrounding the factory. Ella and the rest of her team had the job of taking them out so the other team could have a clear ground the plant the bombs. They positioned themselves around the perimeter.

"Fire at will," Clint's voice spoke over their coms.

Small pops echoed through the night, followed by the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. A figure dashed out, probably Pietro judging on how fast he was going, followed by a few more shadows, getting their work done quickly and efficiently. There was minimal hand on hand, as was hoped. Once that side of the building was cleared, they all rushed to the next.

More shots, clearing the area. It was all going exactly how they planned it. Bucky risked a peek at Ella, who seemed to be able to feel his eyes on her and met his gaze. It only lasted a moment before her face whitened in fear and she whipped her rifle towards his body.

"Get down!" she shouted.

Bucky obeyed without even realizing it, ducking down. Ella fired a single shot past him, a grunt of pain sounding from behind. Bucky looked around, watching a man slump to the ground. She had just saved his life, but she had her own to worry about as another figure burst from the shadows and grabbed her. Bucky held up his gun, ready to shoot, but realized he couldn't hit the enemy, not without hitting her. He didn't know what to do, but lucky for the both of them, Ella had it handled. She slammed the butt of her rifle into his face, enough to get him to let her go, then wound up and hit him again, the man falling flat on his face.

"Rogers!" Clint called, jogging up to them. He looked frightened for a moment, but realized they were okay. "Never mind… you have it handled. Let's move."

They nodded as Clint turned his back. Bucky stood and closed the distance between himself and Ella.

"You okay?"

"Just fine," she breathed. She was surprised when Bucky leaned in, as if to kiss her. Ella put a hand out between them. "Whoa, what the hell are you doing?"

"I just-"

"We're in the middle of a mission," Ella paused, before adding quietly. "Later."

That gave Bucky extra motivation to get focused and get ready for the rest of what they had to do, which happened to go by smoothly and without another hitch. Bucky felt honored to be on this team, filled with such skilled individuals, it was amazing to watch them work, like a well oiled machine. Bucky felt adrenaline pumping through his veins, and was almost confused when they were ended, as if he expected it to go on all night. He was in a strange haze as they wandered back to the ship, and there was still a strange air of business as they took off, and it lasted until a resounding boom echoed through the night, the signal that their job was completed and the factory was no more.

"Another job well done," Stark commented from the cockpit. "Who wants to pop a bottle of champagne?"

"I call bullshit," Natasha commented. "There's no way you have champagne on here."

"Wanna put money on that?" he said. "Barton, check under your seat,"

Clint did what he was told and checked under the small plastic seat. "I'll be damned," he said, pulling out a bottle and a few glasses.

The flight back was dramatically more pleasant than the flight there. They laughed, joked, and drank as they came down from the buzz of the fight. Bucky sat beside Ella, who had shed her bullet proof vest and had unpinned her hair, looking lighter and more carefree. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

About halfway through the flight, everyone quieted down while Steve spoke up.

"We're thankful for the new recruits that joined us," he said, followed by murmurs of agreement from the more senior members of the team. "But we won't ask that you stay with us. You know the dangers, more than there should be, and if you want to leave, there's nothing holding you here. Just say the word,"

There was a pause, waiting for anyone to say something.

Ella looked to Bucky, fearing he would say something, though she would understand if he did. This was a dangerous job, she would understand if he wanted to leave the stress of it all behind. He met her eye, sending her a small smile and shaking his head. When he saw her face break out into a grin that lit up the entire plane, he knew he made the right choice.

He was here to stay.

 **a/n:**

 **send in more ideas for oneshots!**


	11. Chapter 11

**modern AU set at a bar**

 **...**

Bars are a great place to meet people.

Whether it be a new best friend, a future spouse, or a one-night stand, the chances of meeting them in a place crammed with buzzed and overly friendly people were high.

Unless, of course, you worked behind the bar.

Then, you were just part of the decoration. You were just there to take orders and make drinks. Sure, you could try to woo a girl by giving her a free drink, and that may be able to hold her attention for a few minutes before a new distraction came along, but at the end of the night, they wouldn't want to wait for a bartender to get off before heading home.

Bucky Barnes was beginning to think that it would just be impossible to charm a girl where he worked, and it was a shame because he spent almost all of his nights at the little dive bar, working hard to pay for his rent. It wasn't the worst job to have, he got to see some pretty interesting characters and listen in on some entertaining conversations. He could have been stuck in a cramped cubicle all day.

Tonight seemed just like any other Friday night, steady flow of people, the hum of conversation floating, the gradually dimming neon lights casting a glow upon the room that Bucky knew like the back of his hand.

Bucky was wiping down the bar with a stained rag when the owner of the bar, an older man with thin hair and a large gut named Willy, came up to him.

"How's business?" he asked, leaning his weight on the bar.

"Usual," Bucky answered, tossing the rag over his shoulder. "Not much,"

Willy nodded thoughtfully, knowing his bar hadn't been doing too well lately. "I realize that, so I thought of a plan,"

Bucky leaned on the bar and raised a brow. "Enlighten me,"

Willy seemed gleeful as he announced his plan. "I've hired a girl,"

Bucky scoffed. "What, you think I can't handle the waves of customers we have?" He gestured at the few men scattered around the bar.

"No, not for that!" Willy said. "She's gonna sing, get some interest up in here. She's a pretty girl, should help out."

"How'd you manage to drag a pretty girl to this dump?" Bucky joked.

"With my sparkling personality!" Willy stated as though it was obvious. "She'll be here in half an hour, be nice."

"When am I not?"

There was slow work for another thirty minutes, only a few regulars to serve a couple of mugs of beer to as they drunkenly giggled at things that made absolutely no sense to a sober Bucky, but he was used to it by now.

At almost eight, the door squeaked open, like it did on the rare occasion that anyone came inside. Bucky finished sopping up some spilled beer before looking up and to see who had entered.

It was the girl, presumably the girl that Willy had hired. She was relatively young, golden hair tossed up messily, blue eyes glancing warily around the room and its inhabitants. She was dressed casually in jeans and an old, leather jacket. She carried a beat-up guitar case in her hand. She was quite pretty, and his eyes lingered on her a bit longer than they should have.

Willy finally saw up and rushed up to the girl, greeting her and welcoming her to his crappy little bar. She smiled politely as he spoke.

A customer needed assistance, Bucky went to serve and ended up close enough to hear their conversation.

"Now, some ground rules," Willy said. "There will be no singing of anything by Ariana Grande or Justin Bieber, alright?"

"Got it," the girl spoke with a nod.

"Good," Willy said. "You can have a break every hour, and every break Bucky over there will hook you up with a drink of your choice." He nodded towards the bar where Bucky was working.

The girl looked towards him, their eyes meeting for a second. She sent a small smile of greeting, which he returned with a nod of the head.

Willy then worked rapidly to guide the girl to where she would be working, which was really just an old stool and a second-hand microphone he had won in a bid on ebay.

Bucky watched as the girl opened her case and pulled out her guitar. Bucky could tell it was old, the scratches on the wood and the dullness of its color. Perhaps it was a hand-me down, or maybe she simply didn't have the money for a new one. She fiddled with the strings for a moment as she carefully tuned it before shifting into a more comfortable position and beginning to pluck at the strings.

Bucky's eyes flickered back and forth from the glass he was cleaning to the girl as she began to sing. She had a pleasant voice, almost describable as smoky. The song was vaguely familiar, but Bucky couldn't name it. Besides being pleasing to listen to, she was also nice to look at.

Bucky didn't know how much she would help business, but he knew it would make his job much more bearable.

…

The hour went by quickly, the girl placing her guitar down beside the stool and stretching because there was no way the seat was comfortable. She wandered across the room and sat at one of the seat at the bar. Bucky resisted springing towards here and instead walked leisurely.

"Come for your hourly drink?"

"Like I would pass up the chance for a free drink," she said.

Bucky smiled. "What can I get you?"

The girl thought for a moment before a playful smile grew on her lips. "Surprise me."

Not a request Bucky expected, but one he would take seriously. He nodded and turned his back, ready to do his job.

He finished quickly, skillfully mixing the drink and pouring it into the cleanest glass he could find, which was hard to come by in this bar. He quickly delivered it to the girl, smiling as he handed it to her.

She observed the liquid for a moment before taking a small sip, face melting into one of pleasantness.

"It's good," she stated. "What is it?"

"My own creation," said Bucky proudly. "Haven't thought of a name yet… and while I do, can I get yours?"

"Ella," the girl introduced herself, shaking his hand.

"Bucky,"

"It's nice to meet you," she grinned, and Bucky could tell she was sincere.

Bucky leaned his elbows on the bar, ignoring its stickiness. "So, how'd a pretty thing like you end up in a dump like this?"

"I could ask you the same thing,"

Bucky hadn't expected her to react to his flirtations positively, but she bested that and did it right back. Bucky laughed and shrugged.

The girl, Ella, sighed and went back to his question. "I needed the money, it was quick, didn't have to fight anyone for the job,"

Bucky nodded, those being the same reasons he got the job.

"Money makes the world go round," he murmured.

Ella nodded slowly. "Yeah, and I need it. Even my guitar is shit. It's like, a hand-me-down of a hand-me-down. Had to learn how to play on youtube, couldn't afford lessons."

"Well, looks like it worked out," Bucky said.

Ella took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, but I was really upset when I was younger." She placed the glass down on the bar. "So, what's your story? How'd a handsome thing like you end up in this place?"

Bucky smirked, leaning against the counter, which brought him a bit closer to the girl. "Willy's an old friend, asked me to work here the moment I was old enough to serve booze, and I've just stuck around,"

"Well," Ella said. "If you want better tips, you should try that new club down town. Bunch of girls off their ass wasted, they would love you."

"Speaking from experience?"

Ella chuckled and shook her head. "No, I can hold my liquor." As to prove her point, she tipped the glass back and drained what was left in it in a few gulps. "Got any requests for a song?" she asked, pushing the stool back and standing.

"Surprise me,"

…

A few more weeks went by, Ella working every night alongside Bucky. They had become good friends, complete with conversations full of flirting. He would make her a new drink every time she took a break, sometimes telling her what it was, and other times allowing her to guess.

She working the entire night, leaving once Willy had kicked out the last few drunks and had Bucky lock up.

Willy was right, Ella's presence had brought more business. She had drawn a small crowd. It was Friday night, about twelve. There was a group lingering around Ella as she sang, all drinking and enjoying their time. It made Bucky's job easier, more people sitting at the tables than at the bar. This allowed him to watch her without much distraction. She would often meet his eyes while she sang.

She finished her song, which was followed by drunken cheers from her crowd.

"Thank you," Ella said into the microphone. "Any requests?"

"Take off your shirt!" one man cried.

Ella made a face. "Tempting offer, but if you want girls to take their shirts off, there's a strip club down the road,"

Bucky snorted out a laugh at her snarky response.

She had been good for the bar. Willy was right about her bringing in business, and with the new flux of money, Willy could afford to fix up the joint a bit. It wasn't high class, but it had transitioned from "dump" to "having character". Ella also made work more enjoyable for Bucky. She was someone to laugh, joke, and flirt with whenever they had time. She would willing test any new alcoholic concoctions that Bucky whipped up and give her opinion. He trusted her taste.

Ella always stuck around until after closing. Bucky used to be alone after Willy left and the bar closed, leaving him to clean and lock up, but now Ella would stay. He knew it wasn't for a check because she didn't get paid for staying behind and helping, she just wanted some more time to spend with him.

Ella had grown fond of Bucky. Actually, fond wasn't really the right word. She had grown attracted to Bucky. She had seen him as quite handsome when they first met, but his natural charm and humor simply sealed the deal and she found herself having quite a crush on her new coworker. She had heard all the warnings about relationships with the people you worked with, but this wasn't Ella's first job, and they didn't act like regular coworkers.

Eventually, the night came to an end. Bucky ushered the last, stumbling drunks out the door, breathing a sigh of relief when the excess noise vanished, leaving just him and Ella to finished cleaning the place up. He tossed her a rag as they wiped down the tables, Ella chatting with him about her brother and the dumb things he had done in their childhoods as well as a few humorous anecdotes about bad dates in high school. Bucky could listen to her talk all night.

They stacked the chairs on the tables, Ella sweeping as Bucky scrubbed the bar, but it never seemed to get rid of the permanent stickiness that lingered there. Ella sat on the bar as Bucky went through the cash register, making sure everything was accounted for. To ensure that he wouldn't be too bored by the mind numbing task, Ella was asking him a steady stream of questions.

"Star Wars or Trek?" she inquired.

"Wars,"

Ella gave a firm nod. "Good answer. Pineapple on pizza; yes or no?"

"Hell no,"

She grinned. "You're doing well so far."

"What, is it a test?" Bucky laughed, shutting the cash register and leaning his weight on the wall in front of where Ella was seated on the bar.

"What do you think I would be testing you on?" she asked, cocking a brow.

"Well, to me it seems like you're trying to find out if we'd have a good date,"

"And your answer?"

He smirked. "Sounds like it would be pretty good."

She nodded. "That's what I thought too."

Bucky pushed himself off the wall, crossing the small distance between him and Ella, and placing his hands on either side of where she had sat. They were tantalizingly close, Ella was feeling warm.

"You know, you're the only person I let sit on my bar like this?" he commented, looking up and meeting her bright blue eyes.

"Probably because I'm the only person who will stay here this long," Ella commented, voice growing softer as she found herself leaning in closer to Bucky. She wanted to kiss him, and if she was reading his body language right, he wanted to kiss her too.

"Or maybe because you're a pretty girl and I'm trying to impress you," he stated, noting that she was drawing nearer and nearer.

"Well, you've done pretty well," Ella said, voice barely above a whisper. Their lips were only inches apart, there was a fluttering in her stomach that excited her greatly.

"Before I kiss you," Bucky stated. "You don't happen to have a boyfriend you've neglected to tell me about, right?"

Ella let out a small laugh. "No,"

"Good,"

He closed the distanced between them and kiss her hard. Ella reacted immediately, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other one going to the back of his head, feeling his soft hair between her fingers. Bucky's hands went to her hips, holding her firmly and drawing her closer, feeling her legs wrap around him.

Ella thought he was a great kisser, mixing the perfect amount of passion and tenderness, even nipping at her bottom lip once or twice, causing her to gasp softly against his lips. She felt and saw fireworks, every nerve in her body on fire in a wonderful way. She had never felt like that before. Eventually, they separated, Bucky's lips trailing sinfully softly against the skin of her jaw, stopping just under her ear.

"How about we go to my place?"

Ella nodded, smile on her lips. "Sounds great."

Bucky grinned and fished his car keys out of his pocket. "You get the car and I'll close up?"

Ella snatched the keys of his hand. "You got a deal."

He helped her off the bar, kissing her quickly once more before she turned and went towards the front door.

Ella's face was flushed as she went through the front door, a feeling of giddiness filling her. She really did like Bucky and couldn't be happier with what just occurred.

She shifted through the keys, looking for the one to his car, when someone called her name.

"Ella Rogers!"

She stopped walking immediately, face draining of blood. She recognized that voice, and he did not sound happy. She turned slowly, seeing her brother marching up towards her, looking very unhappy.

"Hey, Steve," she said as he planted himself in front of her. "uh, why are you here?"

"Funny story, actually," he said, even though he didn't sound the slightest bit amused. "You left your keys in my apartment, so I thought I'd bring them to you. So, I went to that Italian place down the street where you said you were working, and you know what they told me?"

Ella cringed.

"They told me you were fired a month ago!"

"Okay, first of all, I wasn't fired. I quit. Secondly, the asshole called me a dumb bitch so I think he deserved a face-full of beer," she explained herself quickly. "And, how the hell did you find me?"

Steve pointed at his phone.

"Since when did you know how to work your phone?" Ella asked. "You can barely text!"

Bucky was shutting off the lights to the bar, a large smile plastered on his face at the thought of the girl waiting for him, but the smile faded when he heard raised voices from outside, one of them Ella's and the other a man's. He quickly stepped outside, seeing Ella standing a few feet away, speaking with a tall man. He quickly intervened, stepping between the two of them.

"Is there a problem here?" Bucky asked, tilting his head up and trying to make himself look bigger as if he could intimidate the man. He put himself slightly in front of Ella.

The man looked past Bucky at Ella.

"Who's this?"

Ella stepped around Bucky until she stood at his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Steve, this is Bucky. We work at the bar together. Bucky, this is my brother, Steve."

Her brother was a lot taller than he expected.

"Is everything alright?" Bucky asked.

"Fine," Ella said sharply, looking pointedly at her brother. "He's just cranky that I'm not working where I said I was working. At least I'm not working at the strip club down there!" she pointed down the street to prove her point.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Steve asked.

"Because you'd make a fuss about me working at a bar in this neighborhood!"

"Because you can have a better job!"

Bucky felt slightly awkward being caught in the middle of the sibling argument.

"I like my job, thank you very much," Ella said, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly. "I like what I do, I like the boss, and I like who I work with," she nodded her head at Bucky. "It's much better than cleaning up after snobby kids in a restaurant."

Steve look exasperated, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, just tell me what you're doing next time, so I don't actually think you're working at that strip club,"

Ella let out a small laugh. "Well, I might not be working there now but…"

Steve narrowed his eyes.

"Kidding!" Ella said quickly. "It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, Steve."

"Don't you need a ride to your apartment?" Steve asked.

She shook her head, reaching out and grabbing Bucky's hand tightly, tugging him away from where her brother was still standing. "No, not tonight. See ya!"

"Nice meeting you!" Bucky said, hearing Ella muffle a laugh behind her hand as they went to his car, ready to unwind after a long day of working.

…

Bucky and Ella spent a wonderful night together, exceeding expectations of how it would go. It seemed that their time spent together further confirmed their mutual attraction and even heightened it.

They slept in to almost ten, Ella only being awoken by and arm around her waist holding her tight and a soft kiss on the crook of her neck. As her eyes opened, a smile grew on her lips, peeking over her shoulder at Bucky.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning."

Ella turned in his arms until she was facing his, holding the sheets tighter to her body as she enjoyed the view.

Bucky checked the time, mood falling slightly. "It's almost time to go back to work,"

The corners of Ella's lips flickered down at the notion, but she decided to work her way around it. "How about we call in a sick day?"

Bucky laughed. "Do you think Willy could manage?"

"He'll work it out," Ella assured him confidently. "Besides, it'll be nice doing something together that isn't work related. Got any ideas?"

Bucky smiled slyly, kissing the girl and trailing a hand down her arm. "I've got a few ideas,"

 **A/n:**

 **This was pretty much an excuse to write some fluff that I've felt was missing from Chasing Memories at the time. I hope you all enjoyed it still.**

 **Also, if anyone wants to see some of the drawings ive created that go along with the story, the hashtag "#chasingmemoriesjgs" has them, which include trying to sketch out what Ella will look like and her new uniform I mentioned in the latest chapter.**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Happy ending AU where everybody got through the war without dying/ fake dying and they get to go home**

 **…**

Bucky couldn't believe it was over. He couldn't believe that they had won. It almost felt too good to be true, HYDRA was finished and he and his best friend were heading home to where the girl that Bucky loved was patiently waiting for them. He was waiting until someone rudely woke him up.

The path to victory hadn't been easy for any of the trio. Bucky still shivered when he thought about the time where Ella was captured by HYDRA, and the image of her tied up on the train would never leave his mind.

He had nearly died as well, hanging off that train. He was sure he was going to fall down into icy nothingness, but in a surprising feat of strength, it was Ella, not Steve, who dug her heels into the ground, letting out a mighty cry of effort, and tugging him out of the biting wind and into the cabin. Bucky had landed on her hard as they collapsed onto the metal ground, but she didn't seem to mind, the moment that she realized that they were both safe, she gave him a nearly bone crushing hug.

Of course, Ella was less than happy that Bucky decided to go back into battle so close to what could have been a fatal accident, but she understood why he was doing it.

Ella was beyond nervous the night before they were to head out and fight in what they believed would be the last and largest battle against HYDRA. She had worried herself sick, literally, ambling to the bathroom sometime in the night and losing the contents of her stomach.

She had been spending her nights in a shared room with Bucky since they returned, and he heard her distress that night, kneeling beside her on the cold tile of the bathroom, brushing her hair out of her face, and murmuring encouragements to her.

"I'll be alright," he assured her yet again.

"You better be," Ella said with as much strength as she could muster in her weak voice.

They still hadn't informed Steve about the nature of their relationship, but were certain that after this mission they would, not ifs, ands, or buts. It would happen.

Ella waved off her boys again, actually shedding a few tears, only able to think about how close she had come to losing Bucky and couldn't imagine losing either of them. She willed herself to be strong as she watched them sail away.

She waited for a few days in the SSR base, until Peggy finally contacted her.

They had won. Steve and Bucky were both fine, perhaps a bit tired and bruised, but alive. Ella had found a quiet room and wept in joy.

The wait for them to get back was excruciating, but the thought that every minute brought Ella closer to seeing them again managed to keep her going.

When the ship came to the harbor, Ella pushed her way to the front of the crowd, for once not caring about what the others thought. They could think her rude, she didn't give a damn today. Her heart was racing with anticipation as her wide eyes scanned the faces of those coming off the ship until they landed on those she was waiting for.

When she finally spotted them, her heart leapt. She cried out their names, shoving past the thick crowd until she could reach them. When they saw her, they wasted no time pushing their own way through the packed crowd.

Steve reached his sister first and drew her in for a tight hug which she returned enthusiastically. When he released her, she then threw herself at Bucky, simply melting in his embrace. They drew back rather quickly, but Bucky still had his hands planted on her waist. There was a look in his eyes that told Ella he was about to do something foolish.

"Steve, you're my best friend, so I gotta tell you," Bucky began, looking from Steve back to Ella. "I'm in love with your sister,"

Ella hadn't expected him to do it so quickly and in such a blunt manner, and also didn't expect him to kiss her right there, but he did, drawing her close in his arms. Ella could feel his relief at finally being out in the open, which caused her to smile against his lips.

Steve blinked dumbly at the pair, jolted out of his surprise when Dugan slapped his shoulder hard.

"What's with the surprise?" he laughed. "Everyone knew what was going on!"

Ella's face was flushed as she looked at Steve, muffling a laugh behind her hand.

Finally, Peggy appeared behind Steve, noting that Ella and Bucky were still quite wrapped up with one another, and if their flushed faces and Steve's bewildered expression told her anything, they had finally admitted their feelings.

"Took long enough," Peggy said.

Ella didn't miss how she intertwined her fingers with Steve's.

"Right back at you,"

…

The war was all but over.

They told Steve and Bucky that they had done all they needed, that they could finally rest. Bucky took this opportunity gladly, tired after all the fighting and dealing with the kidnappings and the near-death experiences. Steve stuck with Peggy and cleaned up the last few Nazis and led the final battles to a sure victory.

Ella and Bucky spent their time in England, waiting for Steve to return. They spent VE day together, among the cheering crowds, feeling the euphoria of the world running through their veins. Ella almost couldn't believe that it was finally over, the fighting, HYDRA, Steve and Bucky in danger. It was done. She kissed Bucky over and over for good measure.

Steve arrived back in England during the VE day celebrations, and was met by a deafening cheer from the crowd. He was smiling almost nervously, not having this much attention since he was in shows. He was a real hero now. He and the rest of the Howling Commandos were honored, being herded onto a stage. Ella tried to stay below, but was dragged up with the rest of them by both Steve and Bucky, and she didn't have the strength to resist them both.

Her face was flushed as she stood up there, hiding her face in Bucky's shoulders as he waved at the crowd, hamming it up and enjoying the attention while it lasted. It would all disappear in a few days time.

And then, they finally got to go home.

Steve bought a new apartment, larger and cleaner in a better neighborhood. Ella felt amazing being back home, there were days were she thought she would never see it again. It took her a while to get back into the rhythm of Brooklyn.

She and Bucky embraced their open relationship, going out together without fear of anyone knowing. Ella had never been happier, he made her happy. She could see their future playing out before her every time she looked into his eyes.

Bucky took her to dinner at a lovely restaurant one night. Ella wore her finest dress with her locket displayed proudly on her chest. It was a lovely time, probably the most expensive date she had ever been on.

"What's this all about?" Ella had asked.

"Because you're amazing and I love you," he answered with a smile, holding up his glass in cheers.

They finished their meal with plenty of laughs and good food. When they were done, they walked the shores by Coney Island. The night was dark and the pair was lit by the silver moon. Ella held her heels in her hand, holding Bucky's with her other. She walked in the shallows, feeling the cool water lap over her toes. She looked up at Bucky after a while, seeing a strange look on his face. His forehead was dotted with beads of sweat and he was swallowing hard. She noted that his palm was damp and was clamping on hers tightly.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

He looked almost startled by her voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" he stopped walking and looked at Ella. "The time I've spent with you had been fantastic, and every time I say 'I love you', I mean it even more."

Ella didn't know what he was going with this, but she was nervous looking at his expression.

"So, I need to ask you something…" he continued before swallowing hard. He reached into his pocket before dropping her hands.

Ella's hand slapped over her mouth as he dropped down to one knee and opened up a velvet ring box, revealing a simple but elegant ring with a shimmering diamond displayed in the middle, but she hardly cared for the gem at the moment, looking instead into Bucky's just as bright eyes.

"Ella, I love you," he said earnestly. "I've spent my entire life with you, and I want to keep spending the rest of my life with you… would you marry me?"

Ella's eyes burned as her throat constricted. She couldn't get words out of her mouth, her heart fluttering wildly. She knew she had wanted this, but she didn't expect it to happen tonight.

She wasn't saying anything. Bucky felt like he was going to be sick. He didn't know what he would do if she turned him down. He didn't think he could take another moment of her stunned silence.

Ella's hand dropped down from her lips, her head nodding a miniscule amount before she could finally speak. "Yes," she whispered almost too soft to hear. "Yes, yes, of course!" her voice grew louder with each syllable.

Relief and joy filled Bucky. He stood and kiss Ella, quickly grabbing her left hand and sliding the ring on her finger. Ella laugh and cried happily, throwing her arms around Bucky. There weren't words to describe how she felt, they wouldn't do her emotions justice. She was going to get married. It was almost unreal.

Bucky peppered her face with kisses, lifting her up. He began wading into the water.

"What are you doing?" Ella laughed as the went deeper.

"We're going swimming," he informed her. "Because we're getting married." He said it, almost to make it real to himself.

Ella didn't care that those things didn't make much sense together, and she didn't care that her dress was getting wet. They fell into the water and splashed around, laughing together with smiles too wide for their faces.

They went back to their apartment building dripping. Ella had still been living with Steve, because an unmarried woman living with a man, even if they were in love, was frowned upon. Peggy had moved in with Steve, making quite a crowded apartment. The pair had been working with the SSR after the war in the base in New York.

Ella and Bucky still held one another's hands as they walked into Ella's shared apartment. Steve and Peggy were sitting at the table, finishing some work and a small meal. They looked surprised when they walked in.

"What happened to you too?" Peggy asked, seeing the soaked pair.

"I thought you were going out for dinner, not for a swim," Steve laughed.

Neither Ella or Bucky said anything for a moment, meeting each other's eyes. Instead of explaining, Ella lifted her left hand and tucked a piece of damp hair behind her ear, making sure to flash the back of her hand at the pair at the table.

Peggy gasped loudly, standing up quickly, the legs of her chair squeaking against the wooden floor. "My god!"

It took Steve a moment longer to realize what was happening before his lips parted in surprise. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

Peggy closed the distance between her and Ella before drawing the girl into a tight embrace. "Congratulations!"

Steve hugged Bucky as well, holding his best friend at arms-length and furrowing his brows. "Why didn't you tell me you were planning this,"

"Steve, I've known you my whole life," Bucky said. "And I know you're a terrible liar. Couldn't risk it."

After a few more minutes of talking and good tidings, Ella and Bucky announced they were leaving.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked. "It past midnight,"

"Oh, Bucky's apartment is just a floor away, you know that," Ella said.

Steve, not getting the hint right away, opened his mouth to ask another question, but shut it abruptly when Peggy hit his shoulder.

"See you two tomorrow," Peggy said with a smile.

…

The months leading up to the wedding were a whirl wind, with all the planning. It would be a modest affair, with close friends and what little family they had. It was in the church that Ella and Steve's mother had taken them to when they were younger. It had been decorated with white flowers with strong fragrance. It looked like a dream.

The Howling Commandos had been invited, along with Steve's other friends from the war. Howard Stark made an appearance and was determined the leave the largest and most expensive wedding gift. Peggy was the maid of honor, Steve was the best man.

"Are you nervous?" Peggy had asked when she was helping Ella prepare.

Her hair was twisted up in a graceful knot and her cheeks were smudged with blush. Her dress was elegant with delicate lace decorating the sleeves and the collar. The veil was long and flowed like a white river.

Ella examined herself in the mirror, seeing her locket glimmer in the light. She wasn't scared, she was excited, thrilled for the new life that would be waiting for her once she left the church.

She looked towards Peggy. "Not the slightest."

…

Bucky wanted to see her. He wanted to know what she looked like, what kind of dress she wore. He hadn't seen her all day, fearing the superstitious bad luck that would follow. He felt as though he had been standing at the altar for days.

When the music finally started, he felt his heart skip a beat. He felt rather alone up there, because although Steve was his best man, he was also the one to give Ella away.

It was getting close.

…

Outside the old, oak doors, Steve saw his sister for the first time. He knew one day she would get married, and yet, seeing her there dressed in white, it almost felt like a surprise. She smiled when she saw her brother waiting for her, clutching the bouquet even tighter.

"Hi," she said softly.

"You look wonderful," Steve said. "Ma would have thought so too,"

Ella gave a wry smile and tried to force her tears away. "Thanks, Steve."

He kissed her forehead. "Ready?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely,"

…

Bucky's breath hitched when the doors finally opened. The organ began playing the traditional music as he finally got a glimpse of Ella. She looked beautiful, angelic in her white gown. She smiled at him, and it was so bright, that it darkened everything else in the room except her.

When she finally stopped before him, he could hardly hear the preacher as he spoke, he was simply going through the motions. The only point that gained his interest was when the preacher finally stated he could kiss her.

There were cheers from the crowd as their lips met, and Ella felt amazing. They were married. Bucky wasn't a friend, or a secret lover, he was her husband. She loved that thought. Bucky Barnes was her husband, which didn't make her Ella Rogers anymore, she was Ella Barnes.

They were later met by plenty of well-wishers, Ella was unable to wipe her smile off her face. She embraced and shook hands and kissed cheeks… it was almost overwhelming, but she managed to get through it.

When she finally threw the bouquet, it was Peggy who caught it. Bucky laughed at that sight and slapped Steve on the shoulder.

"Better get moving there,"

When the festivities finished, Ella and Bucky finally left. He helped her with her skirts as they climbed into the car, both looking at one another and seeing a wonderful future.

 **a/n:**

 **I hope you all liked it. I thought it was a good 'what if' situation.**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**This is a requested prompt, wanting a "mr. and mrs. Smith" spy situation, but since I've never seen the movie, I made it a CIA agent one. Enjoy!**

 **…**

Was it possible to be completely enamored with a person's every movement?

Bucky was sure it was as he watched Ella's simple routine as she got ready. He, being male, had been finished getting ready for the night far sooner than her, so he sat in the armchair in their hotel room, whiskey in his hand, watching her like it was a show.

First, she elegantly twisted up her hair with practiced grace. Even the way she applied her makeup was like watching an artist paint, the confident stroke of the hand painting perfect red lips. He watched as she strapped on her heels, which made her legs look great. When she slipped into her shimmering, royal blue dress, the backless one with the slit on the right leg that Bucky loved. And finally, when she strapped her concealed pistol to her thigh.

It seemed she had finally noticed his gaze, even though she knew he was watching the entire time. Ella met his gaze, red lips curling into a smirk.

"Should you be drinking right before a job?" she asked, reaching to the dresser and grabbing her earrings, putting them on as she crossed the room.

"It calms the nerves," Bucky replied, taking another sip.

"Does it?" Ella said, leaning over him in the seat, pressing her lips to his and using the momentary distraction to steal his drink from his hand. "Well, you're cut off for now," and although she said that, she finished the glass for herself and placed it on the bedside table.

Bucky stood from his chair, stopping before Ella who reached out and fiddled with his tie.

"So, where does your brother think we are?" he asked.

"Somewhere on the coast, sitting in the sun on the beach for a week," she explained.

"Are you ever going to tell him you're a field agent?"

"Eventually," Ella said. "When I'm positive he won't have a heart attack,"

She had told her brother, Steve, half the truth. He knew that she worked with the CIA, but he thought she worked a desk job, when she was actually in the field. Bucky had known Steve for almost his entire life, and knew that if he did know what Ella actually did on a daily basis, he would indeed have a heart attack. Steve knew the true extent of Bucky's job, however, which was the same as Ella's.

Steve didn't go into the CIA, he wasn't smooth talking, he was more of an action man, going into the army and quickly working his way up the ranks, which gave Ella plenty to worry about. Sometimes, she just longed to tell Steve everything just so he could feel some of the anxiety she did.

"Let's get going," Ella said, grabbing her coat.

Bucky complied, standing and grabbing his jacket off the bed. "You have the invites?"

She reached into her clutch and produced two invitations decorated in swirling print that stated the time and location of the gala that they would be attending. "Yup. Let's go before we pass the fashionably late mark,"

They left their room, the car that they had rented already waiting outside for them. The valet went to hand the keys to Ella, but Bucky snatched it up before they landed in Ella's palm.

"Will you ever let me drive for once?" she asked.

"Have you seen this car?" Bucky said with a laughed, running a hand over the hood of the sleek and expensive sports car. "You can be the getaway driver,"

Ella rolled her eyes as he opened the passenger door for her to slip inside. "We won't need a getaway driver. It's a standard intel retrieval, we'll be able to walk right out."

"That's what you said last time and yet we ran out the door with bullets flying everywhere," Bucky started the car, which roared to a start.

"And whose fault was that?" Ella questioned.

"I didn't know he was the boss! He was staring at your ass, what was I supposed to do?"

"I showed you his picture before we got there and then you picked a fight! It was your fault his body guards starting firing!"

Bucky groaned. "Okay, show me the picture of the guy having the party again so I remember,"

Ella grabbed her phone, quickly typing until the pulled up the information they had gotten before the assignment. "Brock Rumlow, forty five years old, head of HYDRA industries. Believed to be making illegal arms deals with oversea parties."

She held the phone to show Bucky the few photos she had from the preliminary surveillance that had been done.

"See that face?" Ella asked, pointing at the image. "Remember that face. Do not try and punch this guy,"

Bucky examined the man. He was significantly younger than the last man, taller and obviously stronger. The last man had been a short, older man and Bucky hadn't actually punched him but gave him a small shove, which drew far too much attention to him and Ella and led to a shootout.

"I'll try my hardest this time," Bucky told her.

They arrived to the party after a short time. Ella contacted HQ and told them that they were about to enter the building, which she had the blueprints for on her phone. She quickly studied them so she knew where to head the moment she needed to go.

They could see the lights of the manor before the came up to it, lighting up the dark night sky and drowning up the lights from the stars. There was a steady stream of cars leading up the neatly paved road, through the front gates, all the way to the front doors, where a small army of valets were rushing to park the cars of the finely dressed guests.

Almost before their car stopped, there was a young man dressed in a bland, black uniform opening the car door for Ella. Bucky tossed him the keys and went to Ella's side, holding out an arm for her to take. She placed her hand on his forearm, straightened his tie, and they walked inside.

Their trained eyes immediately scoped out the security. A few bulky bodyguards standing vigil outside the huge front doors. Probably had handguns concealed on their beings, nothing more within immediate reach of them. They didn't stir when Ella and Bucky walked past them, a good sign.

The main room was huge, filled with millions of dollars worth of jewels and clothing donning the guests. The ceiling was stunningly high, supported with large, white pillars. Someone grabbed Ella's coat, whisking it off to another room. A waitress floated by carrying a tray of champagne, which Ella quickly snatched.

"What happened to no drinking on the job?" Bucky murmured in her ear.

"I'm just trying to fit into the party scene," Ella told him. "We'll stick out if we don't have any drinks, I don't have to even drink any of it,"

"You're going to end up drinking some,"

"Of course I am, it's expensive champagne."

Bucky rolled his eyes softly as she took a small sip from the tiny glass. His eyes scanned the crowd, noting the eyes that glanced at them when they walked by.

"Maybe you should try to look less like a stunner when you come to these things," Bucky whispered. "It's not very inconspicuous,"

"They're not all looking at me," Ella said, noting two women with their eyes trailing Bucky. Ella looked at them sharply and they instantly adverted their gazes, looking down sheepishly. "Let's go mingle a bit,"

It wasn't as though Ella really wanted to talk with the people at the party, but it would be less suspicious if they played nice for a while before Ella would go off on her own in search for a laptop with all of the records of the illegal trades that would be enough to take down the industry.

They found a small group to join. Ella and Bucky could both be very charming when they wanted, but it was mostly filled with fake smiles and uncomfortable laughs that weren't noticed by the other guests because they had a bit too much to drink.

About half an hour into talking with a group of heiresses and businessmen, Ella announced she had to run to the restroom. She walked through the crowded halls, going over the map in her mind. Ella reached into her clutch and pulled out a small com, placing it in her ear.

"You hear me, Buck?"

" _Loud and clear,"_

Now that Ella was confident that she had communications set up, she was ready to search out what she wanted. She turned down a hall, which was eerily quiet compared to the sounds from the party. It was completely empty, the only sound the surrounded her was her heels on the marble.

She knew she was in the right hall, she couldn't recall which door led to the main office she needed to be in. She grabbed her phone and opened up the file, finding where she was and where she needed to be. It was right down the hall, she was nearly there-

"I don't think I know you,"

Ella froze in her spot. The voice came from behind her. She slowly turned, seeing the man she was sent here to investigate. Ella knew she was in a tough spot, so she turned on her charm, giving a tiny, coy smirk.

"I'm just somebody's plus one, no one important,"

Rumlow was wearing an expensive suit, maybe worth more than Ella's apartment. Although he could be seen as a handsome man, but there was something in his gaze that unnerved her.

"Lucky someone," the man said, straightening his tie.

"You're throwing a lovely party," Ella said.

"Is there a reason that you're over here, on your own?"

"Just looking for the ladies room," she said, which was her go-to lie when she was caught somewhere she shouldn't be. "Am I warm?"

"Almost burning hot," he said, almost sounding proud.

"Fucker," Bucky whispered into his cup from the middle of the party, hearing Rumlow over the com, flirting terribly with Ella.

"It's down there, to your left," Rumlow pointed. "I'll see you back at the party?"

"Of course," Ella smiled.

She went down to where he said the bathroom was, going inside but leaving the door cracked, watching the man retreat until she was alone again. She quickly exited the restroom and dashed across the hall to the office. She tried the knob, but it was locked, like she expected. The only problem was it didn't need a key, it was a finger print.

"Dammit," Ella breathed from under her breath.

" _What is it?"_ Bucky asked over the com.

"Fingerprint scanner…" she paused, squatting down and looking at the pad. In the gleam of the light, she noticed the last finger used to unlock it had left a print. She scoffed under her breath. "Amateurs,"

She reached into her clutch, pulling out facial powder and tape. She dusted the powder over the scanner, which would stick to the oils the print left behind. She blew off the excess powder, before pressing the tape over it and rubbing over the print again.

"Please work, please work, please work…" she murmured. Then, her prayers were answered when a green light flashed and she was in.

"Ok, I'm in," Ella said to Bucky over the com, quickly shutting the door behind her.

It was a neatly put together office, a large shelf weighed down with books, no stray papers littering the desk, but the laptop she needed was sitting right in the center. Ella stood behind the desk and opened the laptop. It was locked, she didn't know the passcode and didn't have a sneaky trick to get in, but luckily for her, the brains back at HQ did. She had a flash drive in her purse, which, when she put it in the computer, had an algorithm to get through the security and instantly download all the files on the computer. She fit the flash drive into place, staring at the screen as it flashed and passed through the security. It only took a few seconds before the screen displayed that all the files had been downloaded.

"Got it," Ella whispered, removing the flash drive, happy that they had gotten through the assignment with minimal difficulties.

" _Great job,"_ Bucky said through the com.

Ella placed the flash drive into her clutch and crossed the room to the door, but before she could, it opened. She gasped and jumped back as it swung open, revealing the last person she wanted to see.

"I'm pretty sure I said to your left, not your right," Rumlow said, blocking the exit.

Ella shrugged, going on the defensive. "Did you? My mistake."

He looked unbelieving, which he was, reaching down and peeling off the piece of tape that was over the print scanner. "Dammit… the most expensive security system gets thwarted by some cheap trick," he crumpled it between his fingers and flicked it to the ground. "So, what are you? FBI, CIA, Bratva?"

"What are you talking about?" Ella tried to play dumb.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he said bitterly, slamming the door behind him and stalking into the office.

Ella instinctively took a few steps back until her lower back was pressed against the desk.

"No!" Ella said quickly as he got in her face. He seemed confused at her reaction, blinking dumbly. "I think you're a dumbass,"

Before he could react, Ella grabbed her pistol from where she had concealed it, whipping it out and hitting Rumlow in the face with it, temporarily distracting him and allowing her to sprint through the door. She was halfway down the hall when someone rounding the corner, Ella raising her pistol in defense, but lowering just as quick when she saw it was Bucky.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I heard everything over the coms,"

"I'm fine, but we need to go right now," Ella said, holding onto his arm and dragging him with her.

"Oh, so it's your fault this time when we're being shot at," Bucky said. "What did you do?"

"I punched him in the face. We're even now, lets go!"

They rushed through the party, getting stares for different reasons this time, pushing and shoving, all the while, Ella still held his pistol in one hand and her clutch in the other. The burst outside, but they didn't have time to wait for the valet to bring their car around. There was already a security team chasing after them, fighting through the sea of party-goers to get to them. Instead, they snatched the keys from the couple that had just arrived and booting them from their own car.

"I'm driving this time," Ella said, stealing the keys from Bucky's hand and sliding into the drivers seat.

Bucky couldn't argue. He said she could be the getaway driver. He slammed the door shut just as the first shot rang out, hitting the side of the car.

"Shit!" Bucky cursed. "Go!"

Ella slammed on the gas, the wheels screaming in protest against the paved road. She swerved around the few people in the way and went down the road, a bit faster than Bucky was comfortable with, fingers clenched around the handle.

He could hear a few more shots being fired after them, but not hitting anything.

"You drive way too fast," Bucky said through clenched teeth. "You're never driving again,"

Ella chuckled at his reaction. "We just need to get to the rendezvous point, pass off the intel-"

"And then what?" Bucky asked.

There was a large smile on her face. "And then we can actually get that place on the coast that I told my brother we're at."

Bucky nodded slowly. "Sounds good to me,"

Ella took a hand of the wheel and reached towards Bucky, intertwining her fingers with his. Although their job was crazy, it did come with some perks.

 **a/n**

 **review and request!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so since the last one-shot was the best case scenario, this one is the worst case scenario. Basically, HYDRA uses Ella and she doesn't escape them and reunite with Steve before the Avengers timeline.**

 **A bit of a refresh on what happened: she was transferred from Siberia in a cryo unit to a base in America, and in this story, there is never a crash that allows her to escape. She is brought to the base.**

 **…**

They had arrived.

Perhaps a bit later than they were supposed to, but better late than never. The young men driving the truck were sure that they were going to be scolded and slightly reprimanded for their tardiness, but nothing more extreme.

They went through the security measures before they were allowed to enter the grounds. The base was located in a small forest, isolated, hidden. There were cameras attached to the trees surrounding the base as well as a few armed soldiers doing periodic patrols. They couldn't risk anyone finding this base, realizing what they did.

The truck came to a slow stop. Almost immediately, a few men came out and opened up the back of the truck, applying a ramp, and grabbing the chamber that held the girl in it, wheeling it out of the truck and into the base.

It was a big, clunky thing, glaringly out of place surrounded by the clean, sleek, and technologically advanced base. The chamber was covered in a layer of dust, handprints smeared on the black metal.

They brought the chamber to the chosen room. It was deep in the heart of the base, the door made of a heavy steel, locked with countless security measures to ensure only certain personnel could enter. The room itself was actually a series of room. It was a place to train, including a shooting range, but lacking guns, a large, open space for combat, a small clinic located in an conjoined room, and a sleeping quarters which was little more than a cot with a then mattress and a washroom.

If everything went according to plan, the girl wouldn't see the outside of these rooms until she was completely trained and controlled.

They placed the chamber down, and nearly immediately, a group of men entered. All of them were armed guards, save for one. He was middle aged and held himself with an air of superiority. He took once glance at the chambers before turning to the men who had brought it in.

"Open it, bring her in the clinic for the operation," he demanded.

The other men wasted no time before following his orders. They opened the chambers, a sea of white smoke rolling out and onto the ground. The men reached into chamber, grabbing onto the weak body of the girl. She was pale, lips tinged blue and coated with steadily melting frost. They were always disoriented when coming out of cryostasis.

Her eyes were opened only slits, and she couldn't support herself on her own legs. They grabbed under her arms and dragged her into the small clinic, picking up her body and placing it on the bench, strapping her limbs down with heavy restraints to ensure she couldn't fight back.

There was a doctor in the operating room, who shooed away the men who had brought her in. He grabbed her arm, her flesh still clammy, rolling up her sleeve and injecting a tranquilizer into her bloodstream to ensure she wouldn't wake during the operation. The girl let out a small breath as her body went limp, and she was out.

The procedure was simple. He was to implant a small device behind the thin skin behind her ear, which would double as a tracking device as well as an electromagnetic transmitter, which would lead to painful convulsions of the body if she disobeyed.

Because that was what was going to be the difference between this girl and the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier was an efficient killer, couldn't question authority, no morals… the only problem with the asset was that he couldn't blend into plain sight. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Although many positives had come from the loss of his memories, it also led him to be incapable of working his way into social situations. That was what this girl was for. She would retain her abilities of charm, let her hide in plain sight. She was the missing piece that had needed.

The operation was over quite quickly. It wouldn't leave a scar, the girl would only notice she had it if she made the mistake of disobeying.

If the doctor was correct, her now enhanced body would burn though the sedative rather quickly. They moved her unconscious body from the clinic into the open space, placing her in a chair as they waited for her to come to.

Ella awoke slowly. Her head felt fuzzy and heavy, limbs like lead. A small groan escaped her lips as her eyesight began to clear, and what had started out as dark, blurry shapes cleared into the figures of people. There was a sharp pain in her skull, Ella whimpering as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"Miss Rogers?" someone spoke.

Ella slowly crackled open her eyes and looked towards where the voice came from.

There was an older man standing there, wearing a plain black suit and looking at her expectantly.

"Can you hear me, Miss Rogers?"

"Who… who are you?" she rasped out.

"My name is Phillip Warwick," the man spoke, taking a few steps towards where Ella sat. "I am the director of this base,"

"Where am I?" Ella asked. This man was lacking the Russian accent of the last few men who had spoken to her. She was in a new room, it was different. This man spoke with an American accent. He might have seemed kind if it wasn't for the situation she was in.

"This is your new home,"

Ella shook her head slowly. "No… no, this is not my home, you've kidnapped me… you've drugged me and experimented on me…"

"That was simply to release your full potential," Warwick explained. "Do you have any idea what you're capable of now?"

Ella looked up and met his eyes. "No, but guessing by your tone, you don't want to be on the receiving end of it,"

Warwick chuckled. "No, you're right… but I won't ever have to,"

"And how do you know that?" Ella asked. "When I finally do learn what I can do?"

The man blinked once before glancing at the men behind him. "Bring her in,"

Ella glanced at the armed men stationed around the room. She knew it would be foolish to try and escape, but she feared that it could be her only option to escape exploitation.

However, all thoughts of escape disappeared when they brought in the person they were talking about.

It was a young girl with dark hair, tear stains on her face which was screwed up in fear. One of them men had a pistol pointed to her head. Ella looked at her with worry, eyes flickering from the poor girl to Warwick.

"What are you doing? Who is she?" Ella asked.

"She's insurance," he explained. "Do what we say, when we say, and she survives. Even as small infractions will result with this,"

He clicked a button on his phone, a wave of electricity pulsing through her body. Ella cried out and clutched her head, falling from the chair and onto the cold, cement floor. It stopped quickly, but left her weak.

"Are we clear, Miss Rogers?"

Ella looked up, eyes narrowing at the man who held so much control over her. "Yes." She said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, what?"

Ella swallowed her disgust. "Yes, _sir._ "

Warwick smirked. "I'm glad. Now, please stand and follow some of our men to the back. Training will begin tomorrow,"

Ella pushed herself up on shaking arms, and stood, tilting her nose in the air for a false sense of confidence. Two men came forward to either side of her and walked her to the back into a joined room. They stopped and looked at her expectantly. They handed her a bundle of clothes.

"Change," they ordered.

Ella held the clothes close to her chest. "Please, leave,"

They shook their heads.

She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't because of the small girl who relied on her compliance. Ella didn't know if it was a rouse, or if they were playing with her mind, but she didn't want to risk another's life.

Ella breathed in shakily, shutting her eyes as she had to abandon her pride. She turned her back to the men and began to strip. Tears filled her eyes as her fingers undid the buttons of her stolen uniform. Her fingers brushed against her locket, a sudden jolt of fear going through her being. She couldn't lose it, she couldn't risk those men seeing it. She discreetly slipped it off, hiding it in her under clothes, because it was the only place to do so. She slipped off the jacket, the boots, and the ill-fitting pants.

She heard the men snort behind her.

"Look at that ancient set," he said, referring to her underclothes. "Less hot than the old pinups,"

Ella felt a hot tear roll down her cheek as she grabbed the clothes she had been given, slipping them on. They were plain, a tight, long-sleeved shirt and shorts. No shoes, nothing else provided. She had absolutely nothing.

The men took her uniform and jerked his head towards a bedchamber. Ella stepped in without argument, and the door was slid shut behind her without another word, leaving her alone. She instantly grabbed her locket out of her bra, sliding it under her thin mattress, which was the only viable hiding place in there.

She didn't want to take it out now, she feared that someone would walk in on her holding it and taking it away. Instead, Ella simply sat down on the edge of the mattress and folded her hands, listening to the air around her. There was a soft buzzing noise, muffled voices from the other side of the steel door, the guards most likely.

She looked down at her hands, wondering what they did. What had those men done to her? What new abilities did she have? What did they want from her?

There was no window in her room, no mirror, only a dim yellow light. Its casing was made out of plastic, not glass. Glass could be used as a weapon.

Ella briefly wondered if she should try the door, but feared any act of defiance so early on could result in the loss of life of an innocent child. She simply pressed her lips together tightly as she finally allowed herself to break in the isolation of the tiny room. Her brother was dead, she was living in a different time and place, and she was alone. No friends, no one there who would help her.

Ella let a particularly loud sob rip from her throat, and in a mix of sorrow and anger, curled her hand in a fist and lashed out at the brick wall.

Instead of broken fingers and bloody knuckles, like Ella expected, her fist broke through the cement, creating a crater around it, small pieces of stone crumbling down, her hand feeling fine.

Ella gaped at her fist, now coated with a thin layer of dust of pebbles from the wall. She shouldn't have been able to do that. They had made her strong, they had turned her into a potential weapon.

It was going to be hell.

…

The beginning was the hardest. She had to figure out the rhythm of how her life would now go.

In the beginning, even the smallest infraction led to a massive shock though her body. She didn't risk any other acts of purposeful defiance.

The first thing they did was cut her hair, shoving her down in a metal seat and roughly taking scissors and cutting her hair, leaving it uneven and choppy, falling barely past her chin. She didn't say anything as it happened, simply looking blankly ahead.

And then, the training started.

They had brought in a few tall, bulking men, more than two times her size. They had permanent scowls on their faces, they looked lethal. Ella felt apprehension while looking at them, she knew they wouldn't be kind to her. They were there to break her and rebuild her.

Her training had begun with hand to hand combat at first. Ella was thrown around without mercy, sometimes limping out of training with tears in her eyes. At first, she hadn't known how to control her strength, at first going too easily, which did nothing to protect her, and then going to hard which resulted in breaking the trainer's arm on accident, which was received with another painful shock.

They taught her how to fight dirty, how to use what was around her, from simple object that would be found in a simple scenario, like a table, or something a bit different, like dirt if she was outside. Throw it in the opponent's eyes to daze them and then take them out.

As Ella got better, the men began to wear thicker body armor, because she would break ribs with a single punch, and after much trial and error, they realize that not amounts of shocks could stop it because of how they were training her to use her abilities.

Between combat training, they would teach her about what she had missed. She knew that all the information she was given had been heavily filtered by the men. They controlled everything about her, when she ate or bathed, when she woke or went to sleep, what she said or learned… and she still didn't know who these bastards were, how she went from Russia to a place where everyone spoke English with American accents.

Ella couldn't remember the last time she had laughed or smiled, because there was no joy in that place. She had lost track of time, she had no idea how long she had been there. The days bled into one another, a never ending stream of monotony.

Warwick walked briskly down the halls of the base, speaking with one of the superiors responsible for the girl's training and 'education'.

"Do we tell her about her brother?" the man had asked, flickering through the news on a tablet.

"Of course not," Warwick said. "It'll give her a drive to fight us,"

The man nodded silently. "SHIELD has been having some negotiations with Stark,"

Warwick sighed heavily. "That could be a problem," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll talk to Pierce about it… how is our recruit doing?"

The two men stopped outside of the heavy metal doors.

"See for yourself,"

The doors slid open, revealing a sparring match in session in the middle of the room. There were three men surrounding the girl, who every day grew in strength. She had gained muscle and moved lithely, dangerously. He watched as the girl defended herself from the three hostile. The first men charged at her quickly, but he was so burdened by the armor he needed to wear, that the girl was able to step out of the way at the last second, and knock his feet from under him, causing the man to collapse face first onto the cement. The second man came at her with a metal baton and swung at her. Ella raised an arm to block it. Warwick wondered if that caused her any pain, or if she had killed the nerves in her arms by now. The girl kicked the man who had swung at her, sending him flying backwards. The last man managed to catch her off guard, hitting her across the face, but the girl barely flinched, her eyes slowly dragging from the ground to the assailant. Warwick could see the blood drain from the man's face from where he stood. The girl knocked him to the ground easily, going down with him and pinning him down before raising a fist and releasing.

Ella was seeing red as she hovered over the man, punching him over and over in the face, not thinking, unable to think, only feeling the red rage that filled her when she thought about all these men had taken from her. This was the only way she was able to get back, and she couldn't stop herself. She knew the man had been unconscious since the first punch, but she kept on going. His face was bleeding, covering her knuckles. Ella was coated in sweat, grunting with each attack. She knew if she kept going like this, she would kill him. She didn't care. They were training her to be a killer anyway.

She did stop, however, but not by her choice. They gave her an especially powerful shock, causing her to stop her attack and clutch her head, crying out in pain and collapsing beside the man on the concrete.

There was a slow applause. Ella looked up to see Warwick taking a few steps closer to her.

"You've improved greatly, such strength," he turned to the man beside her. "I believe it is time to continue to weapons, now… if you promise not to do something foolish, Miss Rogers,"

Ella stood slowly, wiping sweat from her brow. "I won't,"

"You won't, what?"

"I won't, _sir,_ " She bit out.

"Good to hear,"

And so, they started training her with knifes, guns and so on. The security had been upped, they had brought the young girl back in for the first day, just to remind Ella what was at stake if she used those weapons against the men in the room.

They taught her how to shoot different types of guns, from pistols to rifles, left hand and right hand, how to attack with small blades. It was less painful than the beginning of combat training, and for that she was thankful.

At night, now that she was sure that the men wouldn't barge into her 'room' after they had locked her in for the night, she would take the locket out of its hiding spot, opening it up and looking at Bucky's face, just to ensure she would never forget it, just to remind her she was someone else before she came here, that she had loved someone, that someone had loved her. It helped her sleep.

They slowly perfected her aim, her shot, made her hand steady, shown her the best parts of the human body to shoot to ensure a quick death. She hated what she was becoming.

Warwick came in to check her progress every once in a while, watching from the sidelines. He was also there one what they believed was the last day of her training. They assessed her skills, putting up targets around the room, allowing her shoot, both left handed and right handed, from behind obstacles, throwing knives… she had become quite proficient with the weapons.

Warwick seemed please when he saw that she hadn't missed target once. It had been a year and a half of non-stop training, and now it was time to put all of that hard work to use.

"You're finally ready," Warwick grinned. "We'll be sending you on your first mission, soon. Probably a standard assassination, low danger target, just to see how you behave in the field for the first time, and later we'll plant you somewhere, work your way in…" he began speaking to himself.

Ella shook her head. "No,"

Warwick blinked once. "Excuse me? What was that?"

She looked up, meeting his gaze with dangerously narrowed eyes. "I won't kill for you. I'll kill myself before I hurt anyone else,"

"Are you sure about that, Miss Rogers?" he asked. "Think about what's at risk, the people that you love,"

"Nothing's at risk," Ella spat out. "Everyone I've ever loved is dead!"

"What if I told you that wasn't true?"

The others in the room shifted in nervousness, wondering if he was going to tell the girl about her brother, who had been found a year earlier and was alive and well. They feared what would happen if she found out, especially now that she was trained.

Warwick had expected something like this to happen, but he had prepared far before this moment.

"You knew a man names James Barnes, right? Your brother had been very close to him, I can only assume you were too," Warwick said. "He was KIA during the war,"

Ella had flashes of the train, of him falling, a dull echo of the heartbreak.

"He's not dead,"

Ella shook her head bitterly. "Stop talking about him,"

"I'm being completely honest, Miss Rogers," Warwick said. "James Barnes is still alive. He didn't die when he fell off that train,"

"Even if that's true," Ella murmured. "It's been seventy years, there's no way he's alive,"

"Again, incorrect Miss Rogers," he stated. He held a tablet in his hand and gave it to Ella. "See for yourself,"

Ella tentatively took the tablet and glanced down at the screen. It was a video, in a dark room, not unlike the one she had been stuck in for so long. There was a man on the screen wearing a harsh, black uniform. He was seated in a chair, there was a strange device on it. Ella's lips parted as she recognized him, face morphing in horror.

It was Bucky, he might have been unrecognizable for someone else, but she knew him. His hair was longer, he had stubble on his chin, his face was blank, and his left arm was made entirely of metal, but it was him. He was alive.

There was sound on the video, but it was all in Russian. Ella didn't understand it, but when Bucky spoke, her breath escaped her chest. She didn't think she would ever hear his voice again. She couldn't tear her eyes away as two men came into the picture, pushing on Bucky's chest and forcing him back into the chair. Her brows furrowed as she watched the strange device lower over his head, as he began to breath erratically, and then as he began to scream, painful, terrible screams.

Warwick took the tablet from her hands before it could go on any further.

"What are you doing to him?" Ella demanded. "How could you? Where is he?"

"He's in one of our other bases," Warwick replied, almost nonchalantly, contrasting with Ella's frantic worry. She was nearly in hysterics.

"What did you do to him?"

"We trained him, like we trained you," the man spoke calmly. "He's an asset, like you will be, trained, deadly, obedient,"

Ella blinked. "Why him?"

Warwick almost looked surprised. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you much about his time with HYDRA?"

She shook her head. He hadn't liked talking about it.

"Well," Warwick began to explain. "During his time there, he underwent some experiments as HYDRA struggled to create a super soldier, like your brother, like you…"

"He was enhanced?" Ella breathed in bewilderment. That whole time, Ella had no idea. How could she had not known?

"He _is_ enhanced," the man said. "He's still alive, comply and he will remain that way,"

Ella raised a brow. "You would lose an asset to keep me?"

Warwick shrugged. "You two have the same skill set, but you do have something he doesn't. You see, his conditioning led to him be a bit… different. He wouldn't be able to adapt into a societal situation, like you can. We wouldn't be losing much, but you would be losing everything,"

Ella was horrified, but she knew he was right. The man she loved was still alive, still out there in the world, and in the hands of people who didn't care if he lived or died. She knew there was only one thing she could do. She was defeated.

"I'll do whatever you want," Ella whispered. "Just don't hurt him… please,"

Warwick smirked. "Now that's what I like to hear,"

Ella didn't fight back as they prepared her for the mission. They strapped her into a dark uniform, covered in harsh, geometric stitching, thick shoulder and knee pads and holsters covering her entire being. It would be unlikely if she ran out of weapons.

They briefed her on the mission, the target, the location, any possible security measures that could hinder her.

Far too soon for her liking, it was time. Ella hadn't been out of the few rooms in a year and a half. The minute she was escorted out, she began counting the twists and turns of the halls, picking out cameras and where security was posted, how long it would take her to get out if she ever could manage to get past the doors.

They brought her outside. There wasn't any identifiable landmarks that could help tell her where she was.

Two handlers walked on either side of her, leading her to where a helicopter was sitting, waiting for her.

Ella could hardly think the entire flight, mind muddled by the fact that she was on her way to take a life, in order to keep another alive. Did Bucky even know she was alive? Were they using her as motivation the same way they were using him? She knew he wouldn't willingly do their bidding, that he wouldn't take lives on a whim. She had to remember him tonight if she was going to get through it.

The helicopter landed. Ella was reminded that if she stepped out of line, she would be punished, and then she was sent on her way.

She had to get to the location by foot. The helicopter was too obvious, she would be instantly spotted.

She blended into the shadows. The home was on the edge of the woods, the trees providing excellent cover. She stepped through the undergrowth until she reached the end, seeing the lights of the house up ahead.

Doctor Maria Lunes, 33 years old, lives alone, mechanical engineer. Her projects had proven too useful against the men who held Ella captive. She needed to be eliminated.

Ella quickly crossed the manicured lawn until her back was pressed against the wall. She stopped next to a window, easily prying it open and slipping inside. She landed quietly on the carpeted ground and looked around the home. It was different from what Ella had been used to as a child, but it was a home. There were photos on the walls, books open on tables, a coffee cup. It make Ella miss domesticity.

Ella stepped quietly through the house, pulling a gun from a thigh holster. She stepped softly up a flight of stairs, gun raised and eyes narrowed. She reached the top, and saw a light coming from a crack in the door. It was nearly three at night, the woman shouldn't be awake. It would heighten the stakes of the mission. With her gun raised, Ella stepped into the room.

She was lucky, the woman was asleep. The lamp next to her bed was switched on, an open notebook on her chest, glasses resting crookedly across her nose. She looked so peaceful, so innocent… it was a shame what Ella had to do.

With a shaking hand, Ella raised her gun. Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes grew damp, throat constricting almost to the point what she would breath.

"I'm sorry," Ella whispered, before she pulled the trigger.

The silencer dulled the noise of the gun, but not the sound as it hit the woman's head, nor did it stop the feeling of the splatter of blood on her face. Ella let out a gasp, tearing her eyes away from the scene on the bed.

She had taken her first life.

When she got back to the base, the blood dried on her face, Warwick was there to receive her with a wide grin on his face.

"Congratulations, Miss Rogers. You've done wonderfully,"

Ella didn't feel wonderful. She glanced up, allowing Warwick to see the hollow look on her face, the contrast of the vivid red blood on her pale face. "Can I see him? James? Please?"

Warwick seemed almost surprised by the request, even chuckling at it. "I'm afraid not, Miss Rogers. Besides, even if you do see him, he won't know you. He doesn't know anyone from before,"

Ella's lips turned into a scowl. "You bastards,"

"Perhaps, if you keep doing well, we can work something out," Warwick suggested. "But for now, go get cleaned up,"

They took her to the showers, which were harsh and always cold. She stood under the power stream of water, letting it hit her sore shoulders and run down her body. She could only muster up the strength to scrub the dried blood off her face.

As Ella sat in her room that night, she couldn't sleep, taking out her locket and looking at the photos, wondering if the man in the photo would still love her now.

…

Ella was trapped in that base for another year. They had sent her out on a few more assassinations before they decided it was high time to plant her, because a standard mission would be impossible with this man's security.

It was Tony Stark.

They were placing her in the man's business as a simple assistant, knowing that he had an affinity for pretty girls. They expected that it would lower his guard, allowing her to take the man out. She wasn't pleased about this mission, she had known his father and had been educated about the fact that he had created a weaponized suit. He was more dangerous than any other mission Ella had been sent on, and she had single handedly taken out teams of bodyguards.

Instead of the normal, harsh uniform, they had put her in a classy dress, had cleaned and brushed her hair, and even applied some makeup. Ella hardly recognized herself in the mirror.

"There you go, Miss Rogers," Warwick said, standing before Ella and looking her up and down in her dress and pumps. He reached towards her face, skimming the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "Almost forgot how pretty you could be. Stark won't know what hit him,"

Ella tried not to lean away from his touch, though it disgusted her.

"This mission will take a bit longer than normal," Warwick said. "We have an apartment set up for you, we expect a report every day,"

"Yes sir,"

"That's what I like to hear," Warwick said. "Now, smile. No one's going to trust you with that mean look on your face,"

Ella faced towards Warwick and flashed her teeth, but it wasn't really a smile. It didn't reach her eyes.

"Good," Warwick praised. "We'll see you soon,"

…

Ella was nervous as she was dropped off at the front of Stark tower. She hadn't been out in day light in what felt like forever, and she most definitely hadn't been surrounded by this many people. She felt as though she was going to be sick, but she stepped out of the car onto the bustling streets. Instantly, she felt overwhelmed. There were too many people, she couldn't analyze them, check them for weapons, recognize them. There was a slew of different languages around her, the clothes so different from what she had known. A man whistled at her as he passed by.

Ella clenched her fists and pushed through the crowd until she was inside. It was instantly calmer, like she had stepped into another world.

She stepped up to the front desk, trying to remember how she should speak to someone, she hadn't had any real conversations, only answering when spoken to. It was like speaking another language for the first time. However, it seemed that she was doing fine. The woman behind the desk gave her an access card, that had her photo and her fake name on it.

Ella rode the elevator to the top floor, where Tony worked. Ella didn't know how the men had managed to get her a job as his personal assistant, just for her to kill him.

Ella took a deep breath as she got out of the elevator. It opened to a workshop, where Stark was sat, hunched over a table with half-finished electronics covering it. He glanced up as Ella entered, pulling the goggles up his forehead.

"I don't think I know you,"

"I'm your assistant," Ella said, trying to smile, even though the action felt foreign.

Stark nodded. "Right, Pepper said something about that, said I was too stressed… needed someone to babysit me," he looked at her. "What should I call you?"

 _Ella Rogers,_ she wanted to shout.

"Jane Jordan, pleased to meet you,"

Stark nodded. "Alright, Jane. Come over here, I need an extra pair of hands,"

Ella complied, holding down the contraption while Tony cranked something.

"You got a good grip," Stark commented.

Ella hadn't noticed how tight she was holding it, loosening her grip slightly. She glanced around the room, noting any weapons in the room, wondering what he was creating. It wasn't her area of expertise, it would be hard to report something she doesn't understand.

"Just trying to make some repairs on some of the Avengers tech…" Stark told her.

The Avengers? Ella didn't know what that was. How much of the news were they filtering from her? How much was she missing?

"What kind?" Ella asked.

"You into tech?" he asked.

Ella shrugged. "Just like to learn,"

The week went by slowly, Ella trying to get Stark to trust her, which he seemed to. A bit of flirtation here and there, but Ella knew he loved the woman who was now the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts. It was just a habit of his. Ella had known others like that, like Bucky. He had a natural, flirtatious personality. He simply couldn't help it.

Ella had reported back to them every night. They had disabled the television and the internet in her room to ensure she couldn't bypass their filtered education. She hated it, she hated them, but she didn't really hate Tony Stark. Sure, he could be annoying, but he had good intentions.

Finally, the day came when they told her it was time to finish the mission. Ella had no choice but to agree, pulling out a pistol and fitting it with a silencer.

Ella had concealed her pistol on her being the next morning, smiling at the lady at the desk, like she had done every day before, they wouldn't be expecting anything. She rode the elevator to the top floor, only to find the main room empty. She could hear rock and roll music from down below, where Tony kept scraps and the bigger tools. He was on the floor below. Ella went to the stairs, taking out her pistol and descending down the stairs slowly. There was a glass wall before the lower workshop, Ella pausing on the edge and peeking, trying to find where he was. He was welding two pieces of metal together.

Ella took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.

"Who the hell are you?"

Ella gasped and whipped around, seeing a man at the top of the stairs. She recognized him from her briefing on her mission, James Rhodes, Tony's friend. Out of all the days he could have been there, it was right now.

She was compromised.

Rhodes came at her, but Ella was easily able to smack him out of the way, throwing him into the cement wall. The man grunted in pain, but he quickly shook it off, and pulled out a concealed pistol and aimed at her. She wasn't supposed to kill anyone else, so instead of hitting Rhodes, she fired at the glass wall. It shattered into a million pieces, distracting Rhodes enough for Ella to escape.

It was her first failed mission.

…

Ella was picked up and brought back to the base, wondering if her mistake would lead to the loss of life of someone she cared about.

They brought her back to the base, but she could tell something was off. She wasn't immediately cornered and reprimanded. There was worry in the air, something important was happening. Ella was simply brought back to her room and locked in.

From the outside, Warwick spoke with other higher-ups in the base.

"Project Insight was a failure, and we couldn't take out Stark," Warwick said, shaking his head. "We're done, the Avengers are going to come for us…"

"Good god," the other man said. "If Captain America gets here and sees her… we're dead,"

People were already fleeing the base, escaping HYDRA while they still could.

"We need to evacuate," Warwick said. "End it… kill the girl,"

"Yes, sir."

Three heavily armed men made their way to the rooms where the girl was kept, ready to complete their orders.

Ella sat on the edge of her bed, holding her locket, but something changed. She heard the door open, the sound of a gun being loaded. She had been here a long time, she knew the sounds of the routine, and this time, something was off. They were going to do something to her. She slipped her locket on for the first time in almost three years, stood up before the door, and prepared for a fight.

The door slid open, and she was instantly met by the end of a rifle. Ella grabbed it, pointing it to the ceiling just as it fired, yanking it out of the man's hands, and knocking him out. She took the gun and fired at the two other men, hitting them dead on. They collapsed to the ground in a pile. Ella took pistols from them and their access cards. She was getting out of there.

From his office, Warwick watched the security cameras in horror, as the girl plowed her way through all the agents in the base. She was beautifully deadly, terrifying in the way she moved. They had created this, and now they had to deal with the consequences. She left littered bodies behind her as she made her way down the hall, she was almost to his office.

"Shit!" Warwick cursed, reaching for a gun in his desk, aiming it at the door as it opened, but she was quicker.

Ella shot his hand that held the gun, causing the man to cry out in pain and clutch the hand to his chest, and drop the gun to the floor.

She looked terrifying, eyes heavily hooded and dark. She was furious, blood smeared across his face. "Don't move,"

Warwick nodded silently as she slid the door shut behind her. He had never been in a situation where the girl had this kind of freedom, reckless, dangerous.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Who?"

"James. Buchannan. Barnes." She said, each word hard and angry. "Where the hell is he?"

"We don't know!" he said quickly.

"Don't fucking lie," Ella said taking a step closer.

"I'm not! I'm not!" Warwick said, shaking his head. "He's run off, we're all broken."

"Who's we?"

Warwick swallowed hard. "HYDRA,"

"HYDRA?!" she repeated. "I've been working for Nazis? You bastard!"

At least they were through. She was done killing for them, now, she was there to kill for herself. She pointed the gun at Warwick's head, and did something she had been wanting to do for years.

"See you in hell,"

Ella pulled the trigger. His head snapped backwards as he slumped in the chair, head lolled back.

Ella went to the computer, knowing she needed to create a new self. Ella Rogers technically didn't exist anymore, she needed a new identity. Ella first looked up herself, to see if they had something on her that even she didn't know of. She had a chip behind her ear, which was both a tracking device and administered shocks through her body. She took a knife and cut it out herself, even if it hurt a bit, she couldn't risk being caught.

She then proceeded to make herself a new person. Their technology was unmatched. She was able to create a bank account, a passport, a driver's license, an ID… she had everything she needed.

Ella grabbed her new identifications, and her pistol, and got the hell out of the base.

…

Back in Stark towers, Tony stood reviewing the footage of the girl who had created a Rhodey shaped dent in his wall in an attempt to kill him. JARVIS hadn't been able to match her with anyone. She didn't seem to exist.

Tony cursed under his breath and popped a few blueberries in his mouth. The other Avengers had been arriving in the tower after the Helicarrier incident, prepared to take down what was left of the HYDRA bases. Steve came up behind him, curious of what Stark had been analyzing for so long.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Some video of a crazy chick who tried to kill me," he said. "Not the first time it's happened though… only problem is, I have no idea who she is. She doesn't exist…"

Steve narrowed his eyes at the video, looking at the girl before his stomach dropped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, it didn't make any sense, it couldn't be possible.

"That's… that's my sister,"

…

Ella was finally out in the world. The first thing she did was learn. She learned everything she could, everything that HYDRA had hid from her was now coming to light. The Avengers, the alien invasion, and most importantly, her brother.

He was alive, she couldn't believe it. Both Steve and Bucky were out there, she didn't know where, she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to see Steve. He wouldn't recognize her, and she wasn't the same. She had killed people. She knew Bucky was hurting, though. He had been though the same horrors as she had.

So, after she had learned all she could, she decided she had to find him.

Ella had stolen a laptop from the base where she was kept, which held all the information she need for her new mission. She would go from base to base, searching for someone who could find Bucky, and taking out what's left of HYDRA one by one, enacting her revenge for what they had done to her.

The first base was somewhere in Canada. Ella made sure she had enough bullets to take out the first few men and then steal their weapons.

She was merciless as she entered the base, sniping the men down one at a time. She made it seem unfair, even though there was one girl against an entire base of armed men… but no one had any answers that she wanted.

She went to base after base, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

She wanted to see her brother, she really did, but she didn't want him to see her. She hardly felt human anymore. She hated herself, she hated what she had become.

…

The Avengers went to a base, expecting a fight, but only to find that someone had gotten there before them. It was empty. In confusion, Stark checked the security cameras, and saw a familiar face.

"That's her," Steve spoke, shaking his head as she cut her way through the halls.

"How?" Stark asked. "It's been seventy years… she went missing,"

"It's not the first time something like this has happened," Steve spoke.

"Did she try to kill you?" Clint asked Stark. "I thought she was with HYDRA. Why is she doing this?"

"There's no way she was willingly with HYDRA," Steve said, almost offended.

"Look at her go…" Natasha commented, watching the way she moved. "They did a number on her. She's gotta be enhanced,"

"She's definitely enhanced," Stark said. "I still have a crater in my wall,"

Steve wondered if she remembered him, or if she was like Bucky. If she knew him, she surly would have found him, or so he thought, if she was the girl he remembered.

But, as he watched the girl pull the trigger without hesitation, he wondered if she still was.

…

Ella was growing frustrated with her fruitless missions. She wasn't any closer to finding Bucky, but she was able to take out HYDRA, which did make her feel a bit better. She wondered if he was still alive. There hadn't been any sightings of him since the incident with the helicarriers. Maybe, she just couldn't do it alone. Perhaps, after this last base, she would find Steve.

It went like her last few raids had gone, kicking down the door, slamming heads into the ground, snipping. She had cleared out the base before she even knew it. When she was certain that the bunker was empty, she went to look through the files, to see if there was an information she hadn't learned. She always took a few hours to look through the files, learn about what HYDRA had did, who worked for them and so on.

Ella tucked her hair behind her ear and placed the gun on the table, reading through a file on the head of HYDRA, Pierce, who had died during the failed Project Insight. She was halfway through the file when she heard footsteps. Ella snatched up her gun and aimed at the open door, firing quickly, but for the first time, it didn't strike flesh, it hit metal.

Ella didn't see his face at first, only an arm covering himself. When he didn't instantly attack, Ella slowly lowered the gun, brows furrowing. She didn't relinquish her grip on the pistol as the man slowly turned to her. At first, the rim of his cap covered his face, but he soon lifted his face towards Ella.

Her lips parted as she recognized him.

It was Bucky.

His hair had grown out, his chin coated with stubble. He wore layers of cheap clothing, but Ella couldn't judge, she was wearing the same thing.

She couldn't say anything, fearing what would happen. Did he know her? Warwick had told her he didn't know anyone before she put a bullet in his head. Was that man telling the truth? Or was he feeding her more lies?

He blinked at her, eyes narrowing slightly at the girl. "Ella?"

The girl inhaled sharply. "You know me?"

Panic set into Bucky at that comment. Did they do the same thing to her as they did to him? Did she remember anything? "Do you know me?"

Ella nodded. "Yes, of course, Bucky," her heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you… but you got here first," he glanced at the girl, analyzing her face. She looked as similar as she was different. Her eyes loss some of their brightness, face thinner and more hollow. Her hair had been cut, it fell limply and into her eyes. She looked empty, she looked lost. It made him angry to think about the loss of her innocence. He shook his head softly. "God, what did they do to you?"

Ella placed the gun on the table, pressing her lips together tightly as she began to break. "They made me a killer,"

Bucky slowly made his way over to the girl, the girl he had loved, the girl he _still_ loved. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. Bucky noted a bronze gleam on his chest, slowly reaching out and taking the locket within his hand.

"You still have this?" he asked.

Ella smiled sadly. "Of course. I looked at it every night when I was… there,"

She noted his silver hand, eyes widening. What she saw was true, they had given him this arm, made him a weapon.

"What did they do to you?" Ella asked him this time.

"Wiped my memories," Bucky said. "Couldn't fight back if I didn't have anything to fight for. Did they do the same to you?"

Ella shook her head, placing her hands on his arms, savoring being close to him for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "No, I kept my memories… they used you. They threatened to kill you if I didn't comply," she reached out slowly and placed her hand on the side of his face, giving a watery smile. "I can't believe you're here,"

Bucky embraced her tightly, arms wrapped around her waist. Ella hid her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in deeply as her eyes began to fill with tears.

Bucky couldn't believe he had found her. He hadn't known she was alive until he raided a base on his own and found her files, causing the memories to flood back to him in a huge wave. He didn't know where he could find her, but it seemed fate brought them together.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Ella murmured. "I thought you were dead,"

"I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry,"

"It wasn't your fault," Ella said, leaning back so that she could look at him. "It was HYDRA… but they don't matter anymore… I missed you."

"I miss you too," he said honestly, though his face was slightly pained. "I've done terrible things,"

"Me too," Ella said. "I almost killed Tony Stark,"

"I killed Howard,"

Ella knew that a few years ago, that sentence would have shaken her, but not anymore. "God, we're a mess,"

"Yeah, we are," he agreed, looking down at her face. She was as beautiful as he remembered, and although not everything was clear in his head, he knew he still loved her. He placed a hand on the side of her face, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. He slowly drew her close before pressing his lips hers softly.

Ella's eyes fluttered shut at the contact, a blissful haze taking over her body. She never thought she would be able to kiss him again, it nearly brought another wave of tears to her eyes. Although the kiss was quick, it was all she needed. When they parted, Ella was beaming, the first real smile she had in years.

"Listen, I know you've been through a lot and they messed with your head, so you don't have to say this back but-"

"I love you,"

Ella blinked in surprise, not expecting that announcement from him. "You- you do?"

She hadn't heard him say those words in over 70 years.

"I love you too,"

She had never gotten to tell him that.

Ella kissed him again and felt warmth in her chest. She felt like she had before HYDRA, she was happy, beyond happy, she was elated. It contrasted heavily with the dull indifference she had forced herself to feel while she was captured.

"Have you found Steve yet?" Bucky asked.

Ella shook his head. "No, I don't even know if he knows I'm alive,"

Bucky didn't have an answer for her.

"I was planning on going to find him after this," Ella told him. "But… I'm scared, especially after all that I've done,"

Bucky nodded. "I understand, but Steve would want us back. He knew what I did and still…"

Ella nodded. "Yeah… if Steve were me, I'd still want him back,"

Bucky nodded. "We should go,"

Ella grabbed her bag and her gun from the table, leaving the files half-finished, but she didn't care anymore. Side by side, they went down the hall, but they heard voices down the hall. They froze, preparing for conflict. Ella raised her pistol, Bucky placed his left arm out, in case he needed to stop bullets.

They pressed their backs against the wall, inching their way towards the corner where the other voices were coming from.

"Damn," one of the voices said, a male. "Looks like she beat us to it again,"

"How do you know it's her?" a female this time.

"Do you know any other person who's been consistently taking out HYDRA bases?" man, voice tinny, familiar. It was Stark.

"No offense, Cap, but I think your sister lost it," someone said. "Look at this shit… it's like a horror movie,"

Ella felt suddenly guilty at their judgement.

"I don't blame her. You saw the files that got leaked. They tortured her," said another, but this voice, Ella new like the back of her hand. It was Steve.

Ella glanced at Bucky, both of them recognizing who spoke. They knew what it meant; their meeting with Steve had been fast-tracked, and they had to hope that they were ready for it.

A woman came around the corner first. Natasha Romanoff, skilled fighter, went by Black Widow. Ella had skimmed over her information when she escaped. The woman rounded the corner first, noting the two hanging by the wall. She acted in instinct, lashing out at Ella. She dodged the attack, grabbing Natasha's arm and twisting it behind her back before immobilizing her by putting her in a headlock.

Another man went at Bucky, Clint Barton, sharp shooter. He tried to stick him with an arrow, but Bucky blocked it with his arm. He ripped the bow out of Barton's hands before placing it over his throat, keeping Barton immobilized.

Three more people rounded the corner, all prepared for a fight. Stark was out front, in his suit, hand raised and ready to fire at the two of them who held the rest of their team captive.

Stark tilted his head to the side. "Oh, hi again Jane."

Ella swallowed hard, not budging at Natasha struggled under her arms. The woman, though skilled, couldn't match her strength.

She looked past Stark to the man to his right. It was Steve. He slowly lowered his shield, eyes flickering from Ella to Bucky. He took a few steps forward, slowly, until he stood in front of Stark.

"Do you two know who I am?"

Ella nodded slowly, Bucky did the same.

Steve still looked cautious, though he was relieved to hear that both of them knew who he was.

"Alright…" Steve said slowly, holding a hand out to his team mates, signaling them to lower their weapons. "We're not here to hurt you… so please, let them go."

Ella only hesitated a heartbeat before gradually lessening her grip on the woman until she was free. Bucky did the same for Barton, before handing him his bow back. They both seemed a little less than pleased to have been caught and held so tightly. Natasha rubbed her throat irritably, casting a glance at Ella.

Steve looked at the two before motioning at the carnage in the hall. "You two do this?"

Bucky shook his head. "It was her. I showed up late,"

"You two… just found each other?"

Ella nodded. "Yes,"

"Are you two alright?"

She shrugged. "I've been better. Been a rough few years… for both of us,"

"We're here to help," Steve told them.

"I know," Ella said, taking a few steps forward and throwing her arms around her brother. Steve let the shield drop and embraced his sister.

He had only just found out she was alive, the same for her, but they were together again. Ella pulled away from him, allowing her brother to greet Bucky, before turning to Stark, who's helmet had folded back.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you," she said honestly. "I hadn't wanted to,"

"Who would?" Stark said. "Just patch up that hole in my wall and we'll be good."

Ella's lips twitched, nearly in a smile at the tiny joke.

Bucky reached out and intertwined his fingers with Ella's, who gave his hand a tight squeeze. She was happy to be with him, and to find Steve. She knew that he and Bucky weren't the same as they had been before, and they had some things to work through, but they were together, and Ella knew she could get through anything with them.

 **a/n:**

 **wow, this turned out much longer than expected. Still, I hope you liked it. I might be writing more one shots as a way to stall until we have more material in the MCU, so don't be afraid to request an idea!**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Mafia/gang au. Really long! Enjoy** **J**

 **…**

A club was like a battleground.

Every move was carefully calculated. The sway of the hip to entice someone to dance with you, a flash of a grin to get someone to buy you a drink, or even buying someone a drink in hopes that they would sleep with you. Everyone walked into a club with a goal in mind, a hope to reach that goal by the end of the night.

Bucky, however, didn't have a set goal in mind that night. He had been coerced into going tonight by his coworkers, if he could call them that. They didn't have traditional jobs, like office work or service jobs. What they did was a bit more in the shadows, a bit more violent, and bit more illegal.

He was in a gang.

There was no better way of putting it.

He wasn't very proud of what he did, but a few mistakes in his youth dragged him into a world of money, weapons, and violence.

He had been traveling a lot in the last few years, he had been gone from his home city for almost seven years, going here and there for 'business'. It was his first night back, and this hadn't been his plan, but plans changed.

Besides, it was his people's club. They owned it, employed it, and went there to enjoy it.

HYDRA's club.

Bucky leaned on the railing on the edge of the second floor that looked over the dancefloor. He had a beer in one hand, dangling casually from his fingers as he observed the mass of people below moving to the rhythm of the pounding bass. Sometimes it was easy to just watch them move as a whole, other times, he allowed his eyes to wander, to let someone catch them.

There was always one person who moved differently, who danced with more freedom, like no one was watching, that was attractive and drew people towards them.

It was a girl wearing a shimmering, navy dress, with a bob of dark hair. He couldn't see much of her facial features, but he could see she knew how to dance. She currently had her arms draped around the shoulders of a man that Bucky worked with, a younger one, who judging by his sloppy dancing had a few too many drinks that night.

There was a presence by his side. Bucky looked to his left and saw Rumlow, mimicking his stance with a beer bottle at his lips.

"How this for your first night back?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"Not bad," Bucky said, looking back towards the dance floor and at the girl.

"You can go out there, you know," Rumlow said. "Have fun, dance with some girl, take her back to your place…"

Bucky shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Maybe not tonight,"

"Come on, man," Rumlow said, nudging him with his elbow. "You've been staring at the dancefloor all night,"

"Just watching this girl," Bucky told him. "She's dancing with Grant,"

"Where?" Rumlow narrowed his eyes, scanning the crowd.

Bucky pointed in their general direction, noting that the girl took Grant by the hand and was leading him through the crowd, towards the door that led to the adjacent alleyway.

Rumlow narrowed his eyes at the pair, leaning forward slightly over the railing as if it would give him a better view. His eyes widened as the pair paused as the girl cast a quick glace over her shoulder before opening the door and slipping outside.

"Shit," Rumlow cursed, pushing himself off the railing.

"What?" asked Bucky with worry, placing his near empty bottle onto a small table.

"You got your gun?" Rumlow asked.

Bucky nodded. He always had it on his person, concealed.

"Follow me,"

Bucky listened, reaching his side in a few long strides, rushing down the stairs side by side.

"What is it?" Bucky asked again.

"There's another gang in the city," Rumlow explained as they shoved through the crowd. "Well, not really a gang, more like a group of vigilantes, call themselves SHIELD. They've been huge pain in our asses for the past few years. That girl you saw, she works with them. Her brother's the boss,"

"How the hell she get in here?"

"New bouncers, don't know them yet. She was wearing a wig too," Rumlow explained as they inched closer to the exit. "Grant is new, he hasn't met her yet,"

"You have?"

Rumlow let out a quick, breathy laugh. "Oh yeah. I infiltrated SHIELD about a year ago, and we did a little more than meet, if you know what I mean,"

Bucky got what he was insinuating.

"When we get out there, shoot the bitch before Grant tells her anything important,"

Bucky grabbed his concealed pistol when they reached the door, quickly pushing through into the night air. To the right of the door, the two stood, Grant against the brick wall, the girl standing in front of him, hands planted on either side of Grant's head. The girl's head immediately snapped towards them, and Rumlow didn't hesitate before firing, but she had been expecting that, dragging Grant in front of her, allowing his arm to take the shot.

"Fuck!" Grant cried in pain.

The girl shoved Grant towards them, using the momentary distraction to pull out her own concealed weapon. She aimed at Rumlow first, interesting to Bucky, knowing the smart move would be to incapacitate both hostiles. He sensed a hidden anger.

Bucky covered himself behind the dumpster to avoid any bullets. Grant had already been knocked out, after his head cracked into the cement. Rumlow charged the girl and grabbed her, but she was lithe, slipping out just enough to shove her elbow into the bridge of his nose with a loud crack. His hands instinctively went to his face, which gave her the chance to bash his head into the wall.

Bucky raised a brow at her fighting style. She was a small girl, but quick, and although she had to opportunity to shoot Rumlow and most likely kill him, she didn't.

The moment that Rumlow slumped down, the girl took off. Bucky was surprised how fast she could move in heels, but he was sure he could catch her. He followed after the girl, skidding around the corner and sprinting after her. The girl's shimmering blue dress was like a beacon as he gradually got closer. Finally, he was close enough to snatch her arm and hold on tight. She threw her elbow back, but Bucky was ready for it, catching it quickly.

They briefly struggled against each other, and although the girl was fast, she wasn't nearly as strong as him. He attempted to place her in a headlock, his fingers curling into her dark hair, attempting to lock her in place, but she leaned forward and her hair came off.

A wig. How could he be so stupid? Rumlow told him she was wearing a wig!

The momentary distraction allowed her to slip out of his hold, golden hair tumbling down her back as she raised her gun, but Bucky had the same idea, aiming his pistol at her chest. They both froze, allowing Bucky to get a good look at the girl for the first time.

Except, it wasn't the first time.

He knew her, from her bright blue eyes, which were presently narrowed fiercely at him, to the curve of her cheeks, and her golden hair.

He knew her.

Bucky blinked once, brows furrowing as his head cocked to the side. "Ella?"

She looked confused. "Who the hell are you? How do you know me?"

Bucky slowly lowered his gun, posture becoming more relaxed. "It's me… it's Bucky,"

Ella's lips parted as her eyes grew wide, lowering her own weapon. "Bucky?"

At first, she hadn't recognized him. He had grown in the years they had been apart, taller and stronger. His hair had grown shaggy, jaw coated in stubble, but as she looked at him, she knew it was him.

It had been about seven years no, hasn't it? Seven years since Ella had last seen the man standing before her. She had been seventeen, if she remembered correctly. All that time ago, it felt like a different lifetime, like a hazy dream. Things had been different back then.

They had been poor teenagers, growing up on the some of the beat-up streets of Brooklyn. Everyday had been a struggle to survive, to pay for food to eat, to get enough cash for rent. Ella had been working two waitressing jobs at the time, her brother, Steve, had been working himself to exhaustion as well, trying to provide enough for him and his baby sister.

And although times were tough, and time was scarce, the Rogers siblings always made time for James Barnes.

He was Steve's best friend, had been for as long as they could remember. He was in a similar situation as the siblings, and they supported each other when needed. The three of them spent every free second together, growing closer and closer as they days went by.

Ella and Bucky especially close.

It had been a gradual thing, neither of them really noticed the changing feelings until they reached their peak, and they simultaneously realized that they were completely infatuated with one another. It took a while for them to work up the nerve to act upon these feelings, but they finally did, started with a single kiss.

They were each other's firsts. First loves, first other things as well.

And they had been incredibly, inexplicably happy. So happy, it made all their struggles seem miniscule.

Bucky had been young, he had wanted to impress the girl he was in love with, to give her something nice. The only problem was, he was broke. He couldn't afford anything nice, not with the minimum wage job he was working.

So, he did something which didn't seem too bad at the time, but in the long run, was hell.

He did a job that he got from a shady group of men, which weren't hard to find on their poverty filled streets. Men like that preyed on those who lived there, who were poor, desperate to make a buck. Bucky played right into his hands.

It had been a simple job. He kissed Ella goodbye that night and went out and met his 'employers'. All Bucky had to do was make a distraction and a thousand dollars cash would be in his palm by the end of the night.

He did the job quickly, got paid, and thought that he would never have to worry about it again.

He had been wrong.

With his money, he went out and bought Ella an elegant, but simplistic golden locket. The girl of course questioned how he could have possibly afforded such a fine piece of jewelry. Bucky made a small fib and told her it had been his mothers.

"I still can't take this," she had said adamantly.

"I'm not going to be wearing it," Bucky had urged with an easy grin. He reached around her neck and clipped the chain around her neck. "You look beautiful,"

Ella had known it wasn't an argument she was going to win, so she accepted the gift, giving him a thankful kiss.

Bucky had been content, going back to his normal job the next day, thinking that he would never have to worry about what he did again. Ella had visited him at the diner where he worked behind the bar, serving burgers and shakes. She still wore her uniform from work with a jacket thrown over it. She looked tired, but she always did after a shift, hair thrown up in a messy bun. He was happy to see that she was wearing the locket he had given her.

He made her a chocolate shake, on the house, which she accepted happily.

Her shift always ended a bit before his, and she would go to the diner where he worked so they could walk home together. He clocked out, met Ella in the back, wrapped an arm over her shoulder, and they headed back home.

They usually saw familiar faces, they prowled those same streets so often that they knew every nook and cranny, every mailbox, old phone booth, graffiti, and what alleyways to avoid.

But there was something new today.

Ella hadn't noticed it, but it was all Bucky could see.

Two men were leaning on a brick wall on the other side of the road, eyes glued on Bucky. They were from the job he had worked, the job he never suspected would come back to haunt him. It was the men he helped sabotage. He saw one nudge the other and gesture towards the pair.

Ella noted his change in behavior.

"Everything alright?" she asked, looking up.

Bucky blinked as the men slithered off around the corner, away from them.

"Yeah," Bucky said, clearing his throat. "Just thought I saw someone I knew,"

That night, Bucky went in search of the men who hired him. He needed their assistance now. Those other men knew him, they knew where he lived and worked, and most importantly, they knew Ella.

"Are you sure it was them?" one of the men asked.

"Positive," Bucky had answered.

The eldest man thought, rubbing his chin. "Well, that's a difficult situation. There's not a lot we can do,"

"Well, what can you do?" asked Bucky desperately.

"We can move you somewhere," the younger man said. "Help you disappear for a bit,"

"And leave Ella?"

"It's the best thing for her," said the older man. "She won't know anything, we'll have some guys around for a while, making sure she'll be okay. The only reason she'd be in danger would be to get to you. The further away you are, the safer she'll be,"

Bucky contemplated this for a moment. He didn't want to leave, he never did. This was his home, he had his friends here, well, the Rogers were more like his family. Still, if it meant they would be safe, it would be selfish of him to stay.

And so, he left. That night.

He packed up what stuff he needed. He used the key he had to the Rogers apartment to unlock the doors, opening up the door to Ella's room where she slept peacefully, tucked under thick covers, looking angelic. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face before bending down and pressing a kiss to her forehead, a silent farewell.

He didn't know that under the covers, she clutched the locket that he had gifted him, blissfully unaware that she would wake up with the boy she loved, gone.

She never thought she would see him again, but he was standing right before her.

Ella shook her head softly, unbelievingly.

"I… I thought you were dead," Ella said. "I looked for you… for a year. I thought you were dead!"

Bucky's chest constricted painfully, hearing the hurt that was evident in her voice. He never knew what she thought after he had left, he figured she would be sad, that she would be hurting… but it never even crossed his mind that she thought he was dead.

"I can explain…" Bucky began slowly, noting that she still had a tight grip on her pistol.

Ella narrowed her eyes. "You're with HYDRA?" There was disgust evident in her voice.

"It's complicated," he said.

There were shouts in the distance, coming from the club. No doubt there would be backup on their way. Ella's eyes flickered from Bucky to past his shoulder. He could see the indecision in her eyes, her thoughts flying at a million miles an hour. The girl clenched her jaw before turning. She was only able to take a single step away before Bucky reached out and snatched her wrist.

"Wait," he pleaded.

He wasn't prepared when the girl whipped around and socked him in the nose with one, strong, quick punch. Instinctively, Bucky dropped her wrist and clutched his face with a small groan. He could hear her heels rapidly hitting the sidewalk and she dashed away, skidding around the corner and out of his sight. For a moment, he thought about chasing after her, but then he heard his name from behind him.

Rumlow jogged up to him, a small cut on his forehead. "Where the hell did she go?"

Bucky wiped under his nose, which had begun bleeding. "No idea. She got away,"

Rumlow pressed his fingers against his cut, hissing in slight pain. "That bitch is stronger than she looks,"

Bucky ground his teeth at the way Rumlow spoke about her, now knowing who she was, but he tried not to show it. "Yeah, she is,"

"Well, not much we can do now," Rumlow said. "We'll send out a team to look over the area. We'll find her eventually."

Bucky prayed Rumlow wouldn't get anywhere close to Ella, fearing what he would do to her. He knew Rumlow was merciless and borderline sadistic, and if Ella had really caused as much trouble as Rumlow implied, it would not be pretty.

…

Ella's head was a mess.

She had just seen a man who she had thought dead, who she had already grieved for and tried to let go, and there he was, out of the blue, in a gang that Ella had been fighting for years now. Nothing made sense to her at the moment, her whole mind had been scrambled.

They owned a large house just outside the city. All of their team, dubbed 'SHIELD' lived there. They found there was strength in numbers, and that no one would dare strike against them when they were a concentrated force. It made meetings easy, they had good security. It was the perfect spot.

Ella passed through security and went up to the doors. It was late, the common spaces were quiet and empty. Her footsteps echoed against the walls and bounced throughout the house.

Ella only wanted to retire to her room and try to sort through her messy emotions, but she knew she had to see her brother first.

She followed the familiar path to the office where she figured Steve would be right about now. He didn't sleep as much as he should. The light creeping from under the crack of the door told Ella that her brother was where she expected him to be.

She pushed open the door, seeing her brother seated with Sam Wilson and Tony Stark. Sam was Steve's right hand man, someone he trusted with his life. Tony was the money behind the operation. He had come from wealth and decided to use it for good. He paid for the house, weapons, etc… and never once complained. All three turned to her as the shut the door behind her.

"You okay?" Sam was the first to speak. He always made a fuss about her.

"Fine," she said. "It was going well until the end. They recognized me and came at me,"

"Who was it?" asked Stark.

"I'll give you one guess,"

"Rumlow," her brother murmured lowly. He still grew angry whenever his name was mentioned. Steve had put his trust into someone that had stabbed him in the back. He could never forgive that.

"Yup," Ella said, sitting on the edge of his desk and beginning to take off her heels. "I smashed his face into a wall though. Felt good,"

There were small chuckles as they pictured the scene.

"You find out anything?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Ella said, running a hand through her hair. "There's gonna be an arms deal at the harbor Saturday night at 2 am. That's all I managed to get before I was rudely interrupted."

As Steve jotted that down on a piece of paper, Ella gnawed on her bottom lip. Should she tell him about Bucky? Or would that create more problems than it would solve. Would he still fight HYDRA? Would he go after him? Steve had thought him dead as well. Bucky had just disappeared out of the blue, his apartment untouched, no notes or anything. They had gone to the police, filed a missing persons report, but nothing. They had to assume their friend had died, it was the only reason they could concoct to explain why he would leave without a single word to either of them.

Was Bucky being with HYDRA make him bad? He had the chance to shoot her, to keep on attacking her, but once he recognized Ella, he stopped the assault.

Ella didn't know what to do. Bucky had been Steve's best friend. Didn't he deserve to know that he was still alive? Where he was, what he was doing… but Ella didn't want to see the hurt on his face when she told him.

So, she decided she would find him again, let him to the explaining he pleaded for her to listen to. If he was really that changed, she would let Steve know. If he was redeemable, she would try and convince him to leave HYDRA and come with them. There was plenty of room in the house anyway.

"Ella, are you okay?"

The girl blinked as she was quickly snatched out of her thoughts. Her brother, Tony, and Sam were looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I'm just tired. I think I'm going to bed,"

"Yeah, you deserve it," Steve said. "Good job,"

Ella stood and said goodnight, exiting the office so they could complete whatever plans they were working on, they would eventually be transferred into some kind of work Ella would have to do.

She crossed the dark, empty halls until she reached her room. She wasted no time before shimmying out of her tight dress, leaving her in her underclothes. She wanted to jump in the shower, but something tugged at her mind. Ella reached into the drawer at her bedside table, blindly groping around at the years of amassed trinkets until they brushed against cool metal.

Ella pulled out the locket that had been given to her years back by Bucky. She hadn't worn it much in the past years, but always kept it close. She brushed the thin layer of dust off the golden metal, and wondered if the man who had given it to her had really changed so much.

…

Back on the other side of town, Bucky's mind was racing. He had to find Ella again, to try and understand what had happened that caused such a change, to try and explain himself. She couldn't bar far, from what he understood, she frequented the city.

His nose was still sore, and he continued to poke and prod at it, even though it was tender to the touch.

"Do you know where they're based?" Bucky asked Rumlow as they applied ice to their wounds.

"Yeah," he said, face screwing up in discomfort. "North, just outside the city. Huge house, you can't miss it,"

"Then how come you don't try and attack it?"

"Top of the line security, the house is always buzzing with their guys. It's pretty much impossible to get in,"

Bucky thought this over, trying to think of how he could see her again, how he could give Rumlow and the others the slip. It seemed unlikely that he would be able to avoid them during the day, when it was likely she would be out of the base, but even then, he wouldn't know where she would be. The city was packed with people.

So, he had little options.

He considered himself more skilled than his peers, smarter, more discrete, more skilled. So, there was only one thing he could do.

He was going to have to break into their base. As soon as possible.

…

Ella was sound asleep, buried under a mountain of blankets, hair fanned out on her pillow. She was used to the silence that surrounded the house. It had taken some getting used to, when they first moved in from the city. She had been used to the sounds of cars, of voices, and animals in the night. Now, she was surrounded by silent woods.

So, she had become very sensitive to any noise in the night.

There was a noise outside her door to the balcony.

Ella's eyes instantly flashed open, wide and alert. She sat up quickly, listening attentively to ensure she hadn't dreamed it. But no, there was another shuffle outside the glass doors. She had a small balcony that overlooked to woods, and it sounded like someone was on it. Ella reached into her bedside table and grabbed her gun, flicking off the safety and throwing the blankets off her legs. She tip-toed across the room slowly, like a cat, eyes narrowed.

She took a deep breath before reaching out and throwing the door open.

"Don't shoot!" was whispered as a shadow threw its hands up.

Ella blinked once as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could finally make out a face from the shadow.

"Bucky?"

At first she thought her eyes were deceiving her, but it was him, standing on her balcony at about three in the morning. It barely made any sense.

"What the hell-?" Ella mumbled, lowering her gun. She quickly reached out and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, dragging him inside and out from the exposing open. The girl shut the door behind them, still holding her pistol, and flicking on a small light in the room, allowing her to scan the man quickly. He held no weapon, and looked the same as he did when she encountered him earlier that night.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I was looking for you," he explained.

Bucky took a quick glance around the room. It wasn't huge, sparsely decorated. Clothes lay on the ground, including the dress he had seen her in earlier that night. There were no picture frames. There was a bookshelf pressed against the wall, stuffed to the brim. The bed was unmade, she was probably just sleeping. Well, when he looked at her, it was obvious that she had been sleeping. Her hair was messy, the large t-shirt she wore was wrinkled… and it appeared she was only wearing a t-shirt. No pajama pants or shorts. Bucky felt a bit awkward. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her like this before, but it had been a long time ago. Still, it seemed as though she didn't have any inhibitions about it, and instead looked annoyed and confused.

"Are you out of your mind?" she hissed. "Do you know what could have happened to you if you got caught?"

"I prefer not to think of it," he said, planting his hands on his hips.

"How the hell did you even get in here?" she asked. "Our security is top of the line,"

"I guess I'm just better,"

Well, he still had that confidence that border-lined cockiness. It had once been something that had attracted Ella greatly, and found that it still did, even though she knew that she shouldn't be. They hadn't been together in years, but those years had been kind to him. He had gotten a bit taller, gained more muscle mass, and she even liked the shaggy hair and stubble, which was something that she never expected of him from his youth. He had always kept his hair neat and his face clean shaven.

"How'd you even know what room was mine?" she asked.

"The balcony," he explained. "You had a chair and a table with a book on it, just like back in Brooklyn. It was always right outside your apartment,"

Ella was surprised by this reasoning. It showed that he still obviously remembered things from their past, and something so small and personal touched Ella.

"What are you doing here?" Ella asked, finally placing her gun down and tucking hair behind her ear.

"I told you, I can explain," Bucky said. "I want to explain… I want you to explain, too."

Ella thought about this for a moment. She knew she should be wary of him, he was with HYDRA… but it was also Bucky. It was almost hardwired into her being to trust him. So, she compromised.

"Fine," she said. "But let me do something first,"

"Do what-?" he started, but the girl reached forward and began searching his being for any weapons to communication devices.

She was close. The last time she was this close to him, she bashed his nose, which was still a bit sore.

She quickly found his pistol and phone, confiscating them from him and tossing them of her bed. She patted down his legs and arms, finding nothing. She stood up straight, face carefully masked.

"If you try anything, I'll kick your ass,"

Bucky pressed his lips together tightly. "I don't doubt that,"

The girl maintained eye contact for a few more tense seconds before she averted her gaze and sat down on the edge of the bed. She looked up at him expectantly as he hovered awkwardly.

"Sit," she said, patting the covers.

Bucky tentatively lowered himself down, keeping a respectable distance between them. He knew they had once been close, but he didn't know how she felt right now.

"Okay. Explain," the girl said. "Why'd you disappear? Where'd you go?"

Bucky shifted and intertwined his finger, keeping his gaze locked on them. He inhaled deeply before beginning. "I got involved in some things I shouldn't have, dangerous things, stupid things. It put a target on my back…" he glanced at the girl. "And it put a target on your back too."

His eyes went up to the ceiling. "I didn't want you getting hurt because of something I did, so I went away."

Ella digested this information before glancing down, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. It almost unsettled Bucky.

"You left, so that I wouldn't be hurt by a gang?" she clarified.

Bucky nodded.

She shook her head, lips pressed together tightly. "Ironic," she stated. "Didn't work,"

Bucky's brows rose in surprise.

"Me and Steve looked for you for a year," Ella explained. "Went to the police, asked around… but nothing. You were gone.

"Steve enlisted into the army a bit after that, so I was alone in the apartment while he was gone. I had been working the night shift at the diner. I was walking home one night, it was late… a van pulled up next to me, stopped, and then three guys came out of the back and grabbed me. I screamed but… nothing."

Bucky felt sick, knowing something happened to her.

"No one was there to realize I didn't come home," the girl continued. "They held me in the back of van, didn't know where we were going. We stopped, they put something over my head so I couldn't see, dragged me inside… I was terrified. Didn't know what they were gonna do to me. Now, I think they were human traffickers. I hadn't known then,"

Bucky's fingers curled into fists as she spoke, picturing her locked in a cell somewhere, alone, scared, hurting… and if he had been there, that wouldn't have happened.

"I think I was only there a day," Ella continued in a soft voice. "I knew that the longer I stayed there, the more chance there was of getting hurt. There was a rock in the corner of the cell, I grabbed it and waited. The door eventually opened, one guy came in. He went to grab me, and I hit him over the head with a rock. It knocked him out, I grabbed his gun and ran out the door. There were more girls in there, I got them all out. I shot at the guys who tried to stop us, don't know if I even hit anything, it was the first time I held a gun, but it scared them away. We got outside, one of those guys got lucky, shot me through the shoulder…"

She tugged down the collar of her t-shirt slightly, showing a puckered scar just below her collar bone.

"Left his mark," Ella sighed. "But, I was lucky. Before they could come back and finish the job, a woman came running out of her apartment. Heard the shot, called the police. I was lucky she was a nurse, or I probably would have bled out on the street."

"So that's how this whole vigilante thing started?" Bucky asked. _Because of me?_ He finished silently to himself. If he had been there, Ella wouldn't have gotten hurt, then she wouldn't have been putting herself in danger every other night.

She nodded. "When Steve came back from overseas, it didn't take him long to realize what I had been doing. I expected him to try and stop me, but he didn't, not after I told him what happened. In fact, he joined in. Funny thing is, in this line of work, you meet others like you… and then SHIELD grew,"

"Ella…" Bucky breathed, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry,"

Instinctively, he reached out and placed a hand over hers, trying to comfort her. He could tell the memory was tough for her to relive, her eyes slightly pained. She kept her hand under his for a heartbeat longer before Ella slipped her hand away and tugged it to her chest, quickly wiping her face of any emotion that the story had brought to it.

"How can you work for HYDRA?" she asked. "They do terrible things,"

Bucky swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing. "I never wanted to." He said honestly. "A few months in, I wanted to leave. I was really close… but there was a guy who did it a week before me, a couple months older than me. They didn't like that. They hunted him down and killed him for it,"

Ella's eyes grew a fraction of an inch wider.

"It was hard doing what I had to do, but I did it to survive," he continued. "I just had to mentally distance myself from it all, forget who I was… and I did for a while. It made it easier, but when I saw you tonight, I remembered myself again, and the guilt has been eating me up because all I could think of is how disappointed and disgusted you must be, knowing what I've been doing,"

Ella didn't know how to respond to that. There was a pain in her heart seeing someone she had once cared about hurting like this. Still, she knew he had been doing illegal things for almost seven years, he could be completely different, but part of her still wanted to comfort him.

"I know you've had plenty of encounters with HYDRA," Bucky said. "You've… you've met Rumlow?"

He noticed that her demeanor changed almost instantly. She wrapped her arms around her body and clenched her jaw.

"I have," her tone was short and choppy.

"He said that he had infiltrated SHIELD," Bucky continued. "He insinuated-"

"That we slept together," Ella finished for him. It was a statement, not a question. Her lips were slightly pursed, out of anger or maybe disgust. She wasn't denying it. "He'll tell anyone who will listen that,"

"So, it's true?"

Ella gave a tiny nod. "Unfortunately," she ran a hand through her hair. "You know, he could be very charming when he wanted to… reminded me of you. We all trusted him, and one thing led to another…" she shook her head sadly. "I hate him. I hate that he betrayed us and my brother and I hate that he used me like that, because he knew the whole time that he was gonna stab us in the back. I was nothing to him, I had to learn to trust him… now I regret that I did,"

"You should have shot him," Bucky said.

"Yeah, I probably should have," Ella said. "But, I don't like to kill. Don't want that on my conscious,"

Bucky nodded. "That's smart, you don't need that in your life… it's hard,"

Ella knew that those who worked in HYDRA took lives, but it was difficult to imagine Bucky doing so. She wondered how soon after he disappeared that he had to take a life, because all she could picture was a younger, more innocent Bucky with a gun in his hand. There was a different light in his eye now, a bit of a darker glimmer than what it had been before.

"You can leave now," Ella whispered, leaning a bit closer. "We, me and Steve, can protect you here. You don't have to do anything you don't want to anymore,"

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she waited for a response. If he can leave, then it would prove that he still had good in him. If he went back, then he was gone. Speaking to him now, it was almost as if nothing had changed. She gnawed on her lip as he looked to her, watching as the corners of his lips curled upwards.

"God, that's all I want,"

Ella smiled widely at this. "Alright,"

"How is Steve?" Bucky asked, genuinely curious. It had been years since he had seen his best friend, and he hadn't heard much about them, other than he led SHIELD.

"He's doing well," Ella said. "He's way different than you probably remember. He bulked up after the army, had a growth spurt…"

"He still getting in fights?"

"Yes, but he gets beat up less," Ella laughed. "He'll be really happy to see you,"

"Did you tell him about me?"

The girl shook her head. "Not yet,"

"You wanted to make sure I wasn't a dick," he stated.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"No, I've just known you all my life," he said. "I know you don't want to see Steve hurt,"

Ella nodded. She forgot he probably knew her like the back of his hand, just like she knew him. She knew that his favorite soda was Coke, she knew that he had once gotten his head stuck in a railing (but he never told her why. It was probably embarrassing). She knew all the little things about him, but what she didn't know was what choices he would make. After all this time a part, she didn't know what he would do in what situation. It did make her nervous, but talking to him tonight let her see that deep down, he hadn't really changed.

"Are... are you going to bring me to Steve tonight?" Bucky asked.

"Do you want to?"

Bucky thought for a heartbeat. "I don't think right now is the best time," he said. "I mean, showing up a three in the morning, climbing through your window, breaking through the security…"

Ella scoffed out a laugh. "Yeah, that doesn't make a great first impression with the rest of the team," she tilted her head to the side as she thought. "How about tomorrow afternoon? I can meet you somewhere, bring you here. You'll can get your stuff, everyone can meet you…"

"That's a good idea," he said.

"Is there somewhere you want to meet?"

His brows furrowed as he thought. He hadn't been back in New York for long, hadn't had the time to rediscover the city, but there were places he would never forget.

"You remember where we kissed for the first time?"

Bucky wondered if he had been too bold saying that as the girl blinked in surprise. They had once had strong feelings for one another, but they had been separated for years. He didn't know how she felt about him now. He wasn't even sure how he felt about her now.

He remembered the heartbreak he felt when he had to leave her, how the pain was raw for almost a year, but he simply tried to forget her, until now. Seeing her and talking with her now showed that the light within her hadn't changed. She had new "hobbies" now, if he could call them that, but he could tell she was the girl he left. He just needed more time to catch up.

"Yeah," Ella said, mind flashing back to that night all those years ago. It was late, almost midnight if she remembered correctly. Steve had a bad cold and as keeping Ella up by coughing for hours, so she had moved to the fire escape outside her apartment. Bucky came outside with hot chocolate to keep her company. They had been sitting there for a few hours, and they had slowly moved closer together so their sides pressed against one another. It had happened naturally, they leaned together and their lips touched softly. Ella could still remember the taste of chocolate. "So you want to meet outside our old apartment building?"

"Yeah, why not?" Bucky shrugged. "At noon?"

The girl thought for a moment before nodding. "I'm sure I can get away for a bit. I'll see you then."

Bucky almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just arranged a meeting that would free him of HYDRA, allow him to start a new life, a more peaceful one, a happier one. He could be with his friends again, right the wrongs of the past.

"I should probably go," Bucky said, standing. "Before they notice I'm gone and they start asking questions,"

Ella grabbed his gun and phone off the bed, handing it back as she stood.

As Bucky was sliding them back into their places, he noticed a glimmer on the bedside table. He couldn't help himself as he reached out and picked up the locket that he had gifted the girl all those years ago. He couldn't believe that she still kept it that close.

"You still have this?" he asked.

"Of course," Ella said, standing in front of him, feeling a bit self-conscious for reasons she couldn't pin-point. "It was the last thing you gave me. I kept it to remember you,"

Bucky was touched by this, but there was something in her voice that showed she was still hurt, but she was trying not to show it. He sighed and licked his lips.

"Ella, I know I broke your heart, I know I hurt you…" he said, meeting her eyes. "I never meant for that to happen, and I'm truly sorry,"

Ella was at a loss for words. She never expected to hear anything like that come from him, hell, a few hours ago, she never expected to hear anything from him every again. Hearing him talk about their past relationship was strange, and it almost felt as though they hadn't been separated, that they were picking up right where they left off.

"I know you didn't mean to hurt me," said Ella, even though she wasn't sure if he meant to hurt her or not. From his story, it sounded as though at the beginning it wasn't intended, but the length he had been separated from her… she didn't know much anymore, but she wanted to trust her gut, and her gut told her he was earnest.

Bucky studied the locket for a few more moments, rubbing his thumb over the shining surface. He reached out towards Ella and draped the chain around her slender neck. It was surprisingly intimate for a gesture where their skin didn't even brush.

Without breaking eye contact, Ella grasped the locket in her fist.

"Thank you," she said softly, voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded. "You're welcome… I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Be careful," Ella warned as he opened up the door to her balcony. "Like I said, we have really good security,"

There was a confident, sly grin on his lips as he slung a leg over the railing. "Like I said before, I'm better,"

He slipped over the edge out of her sight, leaving Ella with a slightly dopey grin on her lips. She shook her head softly and bit her bottom lip, shutting the door behind her and pressing her back against the glass, feeling inexplicably happy.

Bucky was back.

…

Ella didn't sleep much for the rest of the night, mind racing. She continued to second-guess herself, wondering if she had made the right choice by offering him a place to stay, if he would keep his word, if Steve and the rest of the team would welcome him back.

She couldn't take sitting in her bed any longer by the time seven am rolled around. She went downstairs to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She knew she would be alone for a while, their group wasn't a bunch of early risers considering most of what they did was at night.

Ella took her mug and sat on the couch, legs curled up beside her as she flicked on the news. She didn't pay much attention to what was being said.

The rest of the house slowly began to wake up, the room began to get louder. Her brother was the first up, then Sam. Natasha and Wanda, two of the few women on the team, were next. Clint, an ex-military sniper, went straight for the pot of coffee. Pietro dashed down the stairs. Ella swore the only moment that man slowed down was when he was passed out. Stark was always late to get up. All of this led to a crowded room, but Ella was used to that by now.

She sat around and was friendly for a few hours, waiting until the clock crept towards noon. She slipped away back into her room eventually, getting dressed in jeans and a jacket, hiding her pistol. She put a cap on her head, grabbed her phone and headed down the stairs.

"Where you heading?" Steve intercepted her before she could sneak out the door.

"Drug store," Ella said nonchalantly. "Need some lady things,"

Steve backed off after that. Ella had been using that excuse for years to get him to stop asking questions. Worked like a charm.

She went outside, borrowed one of their cars, and went on her way.

…

Bucky arrived a bit earlier than he needed to. He hadn't really meant to do this, he figured he was just so eager to leave, he left a bit too fast.

He only brought a small bag, he figured he wouldn't need anything more. He needed a fresh start anyway. Bucky had his back rested against the brick wall outside his old apartment, looking at the familiar streets. He had a tiny smile on his lips as memories as his youth played before his eyes. Playing around with Steve, running away from fights, running into fights…

The neighborhood was quieter now, practically barren. Most of the apartments had no tenants, everyone had moved on to better things.

So, he was acutely aware of a presence walking down the street. He saw her golden hair peeking out from under a baseball cap and recognized her instantly. She sent a smile as she grew closer.

"Hey," she greeted, shoving her hands in her pocket and stopping.

"Hey," Bucky said. "It's good to see you again,"

"You too," she paused for a heartbeat. "I parked just down the street, kinda wanted to take a moment to see the apartment again,"

Bucky followed her gaze towards the towering, brick building. He only had his back turned to her for a moment before there was a smack, a small grunt of pain, and the sound of a body collapsing onto the ground. Bucky whipped around and found Ella splayed out on the sidewalk, eyes shut and hat knocked off. She was out.

In horror, Bucky's eyes flickered upwards, seeing Rumlow standing over her with a sick smile on his face and his gun in his hand. He must have hit her over the head with the butt of his gun. An unmarked van came tearing down the road towards them.

"Nice work, Barnes," Rumlow praised. "I don't know how you got her out here,"

Bucky didn't know what to say. He had just lead the girl right into danger without even knowing it.

"You got balls for trying to get her on your own," Rumlow said, kneeling down and tying her wrists with zip-ties. "She's tougher than she looks, but I get wanting the bragging rights,"

Rumlow placed a piece of silver duct tape over her mouth, not that she could scream while she was unconscious. Perhaps it was just for further humiliation.

"Grab her legs, will you?" Rumlow asked, grabbing under her arms.

He hesitated for a moment. There were at least two other people in the van, maybe more. If he tried to get away, he had no cover and would have to carry Ella. It would put her in danger, he wouldn't risk that. So, he complied and helped lift her into the van, hating every second of it. He got in the back with them and shut the door.

Rumlow began searching her as the van began to move. Bucky wanted nothing more than the wrench his hands away from her, knowing how much the girl despised him, but he had to be careful. One wrong move now could spell big trouble for both of them.

"What are you going to do to her?" Bucky asked, terrified for the answer. "Kill her?"

"Not right away," Rumlow said, confiscating her gun. "There's no fun in that,"

Bucky felt ill.

Rumlow dug her phone out of her pocket and swiped at the screen. Bucky watched in slightly confusion as he pointed the camera at her face.

"What are you doing?" Bucky asked as the flash went off.

"Sending a message," he explained, tapping away at the screen. "Rogers, her brother that is, is headstrong. He sees we got her, he's gonna get her. He'll rush, get messy, play right into our hands. We were waiting for a break like this, and thanks to you, now we got it,"

Bucky felt as though he was going to be sick.

…

Back at the SHIELD base, the day was going on like it normally did. Slow morning, spent with teasing while trying to wake up. It was routine, but something came that changed that routine.

All at once, their phones buzzed. Instantly, the chatter lowered, but suspicion rose. They all glanced around at one another before slowly looking down at their phones.

"Oh my god,"

They all received the same picture of Ella, head lolled pack, eyes shut. There was a cut on her hairline, some blood leaking into the gold. There was duct-tape over her mouth. They could tell she was tied up. There was a message sent with the photo.

 _Come get me._

 _-R_

All eyes traveled towards Steve, who stared longer and more intently at the photo than anyone else. His brows were furrowed, lips drawn into a taunt line. He didn't know how this could happen. Ella was always smart and careful, she would never let someone get the drop on her… it didn't make any sense. Still, he would worry about that later. He knew who R was, it would only be Rumlow, but it was sent through Ella's phone.

"Stark, can you track her phone?" Steve asked, glancing up.

"Of course I can," Stark said. "I've been tracking phones since I was like, fifteen."

"Alright. Tell me when you got it," Steve said. "I can go on my own, it'll be dangerous,"

"There's no way in hell you're going on your own," Sam chastised. "That's a suicide mission,"

"She's my sister, my responsibility," said Steve.

"Ella would smack you if she heard you talking like that," Natasha said. "She's an adult, she's no one's responsibility but her own,"

"But she's our friend," Wanda said. "And she's in trouble. We want to help. She would do the same for any of us, without hesitation,"

"We're going, Steve," Sam said.

Steve knew there was no fighting them now, and though he didn't want them hurt, he was thankful for the support.

"Alright," Steve said. "Then get prepared for one hell of a fight,"

…

Ella was still out as they came to a stop. Bucky offered to carry her inside, he simply didn't want Rumlow anywhere near her, not after what Ella told Bucky about him.

They tied her to a chair in the middle of the room, almost as if it were a show. Bucky stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, almost unable to look. Rumlow seemed to have taken charge of the situation, pacing before her, waiting for the girl to wake up.

Bucky had to think of a way to fix this situation. Right now, he was outnumbered. There was nothing he could do, and although he was skilled, he wasn't good enough to plow through twenty guys and get him and her out unharmed. For now, he had to ensure that she was safe and would remain unharmed.

There was a groan from the middle of the room. Bucky's eyes snapped upwards towards the middle of the room, where Ella was slowly waking up. Her head rose up, eyes heavily lidded and blinking rapidly.

"Morning, sweetheart," Rumlow crooned, squatting down to her eye-level. He reached out and patted her cheek. "How's your head feel?"

Ella slowly came to, remembering what happened. Rumlow's face was not a happy sight to see first thing upon waking up.

"Morning, dick-face," she greeted, words slightly slurred. Her head was pounding in pain.

"Love it when you talk dirty," he taunted.

Bucky was grinding his teeth at the exchange. He wanted to deck Rumlow.

"Love it while it lasts because this time, I'm gonna fucking kill you," she warned. Something in her voice told them that she was serious this time. Her eyes lingered on Rumlow for another moment, narrowed in hatred, before they scanned the room. Bucky could tell she was assessing the danger. Her eyes eventually landed on him, and he could see her expression change slightly. At first it was hurt, then despair, and then loathing, almost more than she held for Rumlow.

Bucky was confused by this expression at first, wondering why she looked angry rather than relieved. Then, he realized, she must think that he set her up, that he lured her there to be ambushed and kidnapped, and right now, he couldn't inform her otherwise.

Her gaze dragged back towards Rumlow.

"What are you waiting for?" she taunted. "Gonna kill me?"

"Not yet," he said, pulling two knives, one black, one silver, out from his pocket and holding them up for her to see. "Which one do you think would look better pressed against your throat?"

Ella could tell he was trying to intimidate her, but she wasn't going to let that happen. "Well, silvers my color,"

Rumlow put away the black blade, keeping the silver, and grabbing a phone from his pocket. Ella's phone. She was confused by this for a moment. She knew Rumlow was intelligent, and they that they had formidable technology at the base. They could easily track her phone. If he didn't want her phone tracked, he would have disposed of it. He wanted her brother to know where she was.

He held the phone up, obviously taking a photo, with the knife to her throat. She attempted to keep her face masked, to remain strong, but just as he snapped the photo, he pressed down a bit harder, breaking the skin and leaving a line of red. Ella winced at this, which made her seem more in pain in the photo than she actually was.

"That's a keeper," Rumlow stated, showing Ella the photo he had been taken. "I'll make that my background,"

Ella didn't say anything, but Bucky could see her rotating her wrists in the zip-ties. She was trying to loosen them, but they were tight, they would be rubbing the flesh raw, almost to point of drawing blood, he was sure.

"You gonna keep me tied up?" Ella asked, raising a brow. "What, scared you can't take me?"

"Can't say that I am," Rumlow said. "Just like seeing you like this. Not so feisty now?"

Ella spat on his face, simply to prove him wrong. Rumlow didn't take kindly to this, angrily wiping his face before lunging at her, wrapping a hand around her throat. Ella gasped at the contact.

Bucky could hear her rasping, beginning to fear that Rumlow would end up killing her right in front of them all. He pushed his weight off the wall and took a step forward, ready to intervene, no matter the consequences, but before it came to that, Rumlow let go. Ella sucked in a deep, rasping breath before coughing uncontrollably.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" Rumlow said.

"I'm well aware," Ella whispered. "Surprised you didn't just end it there,"

"Although I'd love to be the one to do it," Rumlow said. "I think I'll give the honor to the person responsible for bringing you here… Barnes?"

Bucky was surprised to hear that. There were eyes on him from all over the room. He had to think fast. If he denied it, it would be suspicious and it would leave Ella to the hands of the others. He wasn't going to hurt her though, no matter what. He didn't think he could if he tried. He had to think on his feet.

Bucky walked to the middle of the room, stopping in front of Ella. Her light blue eyes were narrowed on him, filled with hatred and anger. She was grinding her teeth, perhaps to keep herself from screaming at him, she wouldn't want to give anyone the satisfaction.

"Let me take her to the cell in the back," Bucky requested.

"Want your privacy?" Rumlow chuckled. "I get that,"

"Let me get her phone," Bucky continued, holding out a hand. "The more photos sent to her brother, the more reckless he'll get,"

"I like the way you think," Rumlow said, handing the cell phone to him.

Bucky pocketed the phone, glancing back down at the girl. He reached down and untied her from the chair, but her wrists were still bound.

He grabbed her forearms so her back has to him, holding her firmly but not enough to cause her any pain. He guided her past the men standing in the rooms, down a secluded hall before stopping outside an unmarked door, opening it and entering.

As the heavy door shut behind them, Bucky released Ella. The girl instantly spun around towards him, a storm in her eyes.

"I can't believe I trusted you," she ground out. "I can't believe I let myself fall for your stupid trick,"

"Ella-" Bucky attempted.

"Don't," she said. "I wanted to help you, to believe you-"

He couldn't take that anymore, reaching out quicker than she could react and spinning her around. Ella squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for a blade or for something else equally as painful, but there was nothing, only a relief on her wrists as the zip-ties were cut.

Ella blinked in confusion, snatching her hands to her chest. They were cut by the ties, but nothing major. What was he up to? Did he want to fight? Did he want her to struggle?

She slowly turned back towards him, waiting, nervous for his next move. He didn't seem like he wanted to fight, lingering a safe distance away from her.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," he told her. "I was ready to leave, Rumlow must have followed me, I didn't mean for you to get hurt,"

She looked hesitant to believe him, not that Bucky could blame her, she had been through more than she deserved.

"Please believe me," he continued, taking another step closer. "If you wanna get out, you have to trust me."

"I don't know if I can do that," she shook her head, voice barely above a whisper.

He was afraid she was going to say that, but he felt that it was a lie. He reached out slowly towards the girl, and she didn't flinch away as he softly took her hand, lacing his fingers between hers.

"Remember your seventeenth birthday?" Bucky asked, drawing her closer.

She gave a tiny laugh. "When we snuck into the pool at midnight?"

"You were too scared to do it at first, you thought we'd get caught," he explained. "I told you to trust me…"

"And we didn't get caught," Ella finished for him. "Well, I caught a cold the next day,"

"It was freezing that night," he reminisced. "I made sure you were warm, though,"

She smiled at the memory before looking up and meeting his eye. He was holding her hands, his thumbs running over the back of her hands in soothing circles. She had missed him, she had missed being close to him… she had missed him, his touch, his affection. Everything.

"Ella…" Bucky asked. "Do you trust me?"

She tilted her face upwards and rolled onto her toes, eyes fluttering shut as she pressed her lips to his for the first time in years, softly at first, but more when he didn't pull away. Bucky brought a hand to the back of Ella's head, drawing her even closer. He shut his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the moment, the feeling of her soft lips as the moved against his in perfect synchrony, her hands on his chest and shoulders. It was just a kiss, and yet it was powerful. It felt as if he needed it, after all those years. It wasn't the first kiss since he left, there had been other girls, just as for Ella there had been other men, but they didn't care about that. There hadn't been anyone they cared about more than each other.

They slowly pulled apart, lips lingering as long as possible.

"I trust you," Ella said. "Let's get out of here,"

Bucky head was a bit fuzzy after the kiss, but he quickly shook it off and started thinking. He grabbed Ella's phone and handed it to her.

"Rumlow's expecting an attack from the front, he has almost all his men are stationed there. Everywhere else had about two guys, keeping an eye out and ready to contact the rest of the guys if they see someone," Bucky explained.

Ella tapped at the phone and pulled up her brother's contact, quickly dialing and hoping he picked up.

…

They were getting their supplies ready when Steve's phone rang for the third time.

He had already gotten the second picture from Rumlow of the knife pressed against the column of Ella's throat. There had a demand that came with it, telling Steve to come alone and enter through the front. Rumlow knew that Steve wasn't dumb enough to come alone, but he was playing his hand. Steve had no choice if he wanted his sister back, and he would have to act fast if he wanted her alive.

Steve narrowed his eyes at his phone as his sister's name flashed across. He was suspicious, knowing the last few messages had been from Rumlow on her phone. He tentatively picked it up.

"Hello?"

" _Steve,_ " it was his sister, she was whispering but she sounded relieved.

"Ella," he said. "Are you okay? Is he with you?"

" _I'm alright,"_ she told him. _"Rumlow's not with me right now, but I really need you to listen. I'm in the west corner of the base, there's only one or two guys by the back door. I can take them out, but I'll need you here to pick me up. I can't outrun them all,"_

"Alright, I can do that,"

" _Love you"_

Steve let out a breath of relief. They had created a simple code that told the other if they were being safe. The simple utterance of 'love you' told Steve that she wasn't being forced to say what she was, that it was safe to follow her instructions. If she hadn't said it, Steve wouldn't have been able to trust the information she was giving him.

"Be careful," he pleaded.

" _Always am,"_

The line went dead. Steve placed the phone back down on the table, slid a gun into its holster, and called the rest of the team.

He didn't know how his sister managed to get her own phone back and found a space to call him, but he knew she was resourceful. Still, that small freedom wouldn't last long, and the longer he waited here, the higher chance there was of her getting hurt.

…

"He'll be here soon," Ella told Bucky. "He'll be right outside that door. I give him ten minutes,"

Bucky reached into his pocket and handed the girl a knife. "I'm sorry, I don't have another gun,"

"I'll get over it," she said, gripping the knife and twirling it between her fingers to get a feel for it. Her eyes snapped up to him as she pointed the tip of the blade his way. "If you cross me, you'll regret it,"

"I won't," Bucky said, knowing that should would follow up on that threat. "We should get out of here, before-"

The door creaked open. Ella reacted fast, almost throwing herself to the ground, face down. She knew that attacking whoever was about to come through that door would be unwise, it could let the rest of the base know what they were up to before they could escape.

Bucky blinked once in confusion at her crumpled form, eyes shut, but he couldn't be confused for long. Rumlow entered and found Bucky standing over the girl.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"Not as much as I expected," Bucky fibbed, playing the part. "She's not as tough now, can barely take a hit,"

Unseen to them, Ella pursed her lips in annoyance at that comment.

"She still alive?" Rumlow questioned, stalking around the girl as she lay on the ground.

"Yeah," Bucky answered truthfully.

"Well, speed it up," Rumlow insisted. "Probably won't get another chance to do this. Just put a bullet in her head already,"

Bucky felt the blood drain from his face. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't kill her, couldn't even hurt her. If he didn't do anything, Rumlow would suspect something. Bucky was paralyzed with indecision, but in the end, he didn't have to make the choice.

"Jesus, Barnes, I don't got all day," Rumlow complained, reaching into the waistband of his pants and grabbing the pistol. He pointed the barrel at Ella. "I'll do it myself,"

"No!" Bucky cried, lunging at Rumlow. The gun fired, missing Ella, but grazing Bucky's left arm.

It hurt like a bitch. Bucky cursed as he landed on his back, hand going to his arm and feeling the slick blood dampening his clothes. His face was screwed up in pain.

"What the hell, man?" Rumlow groaned, rolling onto his knees.

Ella used this momentary distraction to spring up from the ground and tackled Rumlow, knocking him back down. They struggled for a few moments, Ella hovering over him as he lay on his back. She tried to reach his throat, but he caught her wrists.

Rumlow chuckled darkly. "Just like old times, huh?" he said, referring to their current position.

Ella's eyes narrowed into slits before she managed to flip them and put the man in a headlock. She pinned his arms down with her legs, leaving him unable to get her off his back. Ella squeezed as tight as she could, holding on fiercely as she slowly cut off his air supply. She was relentless as he began to wheeze and grow weak, until he finally went limp.

Ella slowly released him before glancing beside her, seeing Bucky laying on the ground, hand stained with blood.

"Bucky!" she gasped and scrambled over to him, kneeling at his side. All she could see was the blood, she hadn't seen him get hit. She was afraid it was worse than it was. "Oh, god…"

"Relax, it's only my arm. It only grazed it," Bucky said, trying to calm her down.

Ella shrugged off her jacket and tied it around his shoulder to help slow the flow of blood for now.

"Where'd you learn that move?" Bucky asked as he sat up, with Ella's help.

"A woman named Natasha," Ella explained. "She loves jui jitsu, used to be a teacher. Taught me a few things,"

"Well, it was impressive,"

"We can talk about this later," Ella said, grabbing his hand and helping him off the ground. "We gotta go now."

They quickly pushed through the metal doors into the hall, Bucky pointing in the right direction. He was hurt, so he allowed the girl to sneak up on the singular guard who stood vigil in front of their portal to freedom. He was much easier to sneak up on, allowing her to simply hit him over the head with Bucky's gun, and he fell to the ground like a bag of bricks.

She pushed out the door into the bright light, squinting slightly as she scanned the road. There weren't any cars. She began to worry. If her brother didn't get here soon, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the men inside figured out that they've escaped.

Bucky was thinking the same thing. He didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that they weren't there.

Steve had a car waiting around the corner, filled with backup. He had wanted to go alone, because if Ella's words rang true, she should be alone. He sat watching the door until it opened. His sister came out first and he was deeply relieved, beginning to slowly make his way toward her, until another followed through the door and linger right behind her. Steve felt a slight panic as the man, tall and obviously strong, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's not here," Bucky said, worried.

"Step back!"

The voice came from their left, both Ella and Bucky whipping towards the source, only to find Steve with his gun raised, pointed straight at Bucky. Ella didn't hesitate before placing herself between the gun and Bucky.

"No!" Ella cried. "Steve, don't! It's Bucky!"

Her brother blinked once in confusion as he studied the man's face, slowly recognizing him. He had changed in the years, but it was definitely him. He had no idea what he was doing with his sister, sneaking out of a HYDRA base, arm bleeding, but he could tell he wasn't a threat.

"Where's the car?" Ella asked. "We don't have much time,"

Steve shook off his confusion, jerking his head down the street. "Come on!"

The three of them rushed down the street to where a dark van was waiting. As they grew closer, the door of the van slid open, giving them easy access. They all climbed in the back, the door wasn't even fully shut before the van was speeding down the road.

Ella let out a small breath of relief, glad that she was freed, but there was tension in the air. She glanced up and saw expectant eyes glued on her, occasionally flickering to Bucky. She truly didn't have the drive or energy to explain this.

"Ella," Steve said from beside his sister. "I'm glad you're okay, but you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know," she breathed. "Later… he's shot and bleeding,"

"I got bandages," Natasha said, digging around for the first aid kit.

Ella glanced at Bucky and gave his hand a comforting pat before clutching it within her own. He appreciated the gesture, smiling at her before looking up and Steve. They said nothing for a few moments before he gave a slight nod.

"It's good to see you again, Steve,"

Steve returned the nod. "I'm glad you're safe, Buck,"

…

They eventually arrived back at the house. They checked Ella for injuries, but all she had was a few bumps, bruises, and cuts. She was more worried about Bucky, but just as he said, it only grazed him. Only needed a few stitches.

Steve had Ella and Bucky explain everything. They sat around a table, just the three of them, like old times, and it hardly felt as though anything had changed. It wasn't an easy conversation, it was rather somber, but they were glad to all finally understand everything. Steve was glad that his best friend was back and that his sister was safe.

They gave Bucky a room. He had no other things with him other than the clothes on his back and his pistol, but he didn't care. He was willing to start over.

He met the rest of the people in the house. They were all kind, and welcomed him. He observed how they interacted with each other. They all cared for one another, acted like a family. One man, his name was Sam, treated Ella like a sibling. He grabbed her cheeks and checked for injuries, she swatted him away irritably, but still had a smile on her face when she pulled away.

Bucky felt as though he would like it there.

His first night there, he was allowed it get settled into his room. It was bare, but it was nice and it was his, therefore, he would treasure it.

It was late. He way laying down in the bed, unable to fall asleep yet, not quite used to the silence.

There was a knock on the door sometime in the night. It must have been nearly two. His brows furrowed as he sat up.

"Come in,"

The door slowly cracked open and Ella crept inside. She greeted him with a tiny smile.

"Hey," she murmured softly, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of his bed. She tried to ignore that fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt at the moment. "Can't sleep?"

Bucky shook his head. "Too quiet,"

"I get that," Ella nodded. "It gets easier. Trust me,"

"I do,"

Ella looked at his left arm, seeing the stitches. "That's gonna scar,"

Bucky glanced down at the cut and shrugged. "Battle scars. I'll remember my heroics,"

"Heroics?" Ella repeated, raising a brow.

"I stopped Rumlow from shooting you,"

"I was fully conscious," Ella argued. "Like I would have let him shoot me,"

Bucky chuckled and shook his head. "He wasn't dead when you left him there, right?"

"Right," Ella agreed. "That ass-hole is still out there,"

"Well, he hates us both now,"

"I honestly couldn't care less," Ella said, shaking her head. She locked eyes with him, face becoming serious and compassionate. "I'm just really glad you're here,"

Bucky looked at Ella, her bright eyes that truly did seem happy. She was just as beautiful as when he first kissed her.

"I'm glad I'm here too,"

Bucky leaned forward and kissed the girl again, ignoring the fact that they had been separated for years and the kiss in the cell may have been a heat of the moment thing, but he didn't care anymore. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her close. She responded just as eagerly, hands snaking over his shoulders.

Bucky eventually pulled her down beside him on the bed, and the two of them spent the night together for the first time in years, feeling like kids again.

 **a/n:**

 **this turned out wayyy longer than I planned it out to be, but I hope it makes up for the absence. School has been kicking my ass, but we just had like a week off for Irma so I had time to finish this monster. Hope you all enjoy and feel free to suggest ideas.**

 **Don't forget to review!**


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